Basil Hutchinson Award for Trainee Anaesthetic Technicians
Dr Hutchinson M.B.ChB, FFARACS, FANZCA was born in Auckland on June 13th, 1933, and educated at Kings College. Dr Hutchinson graduated with an M.B.ChB from Otago Medical School, Dunedin in 1959.
Dr Hutchinson’s early involvement with technicians involved promoting the concept of a trained anaesthesia assistant to both anaesthetists and the Health Department. It was through the efforts of Dr Hutchinson and a few others that anaesthesia technicians came into being. He was a member of the Anaesthetic Technicians Training Committee from 1983-1992 and was the committee’s Chairman from 1986-1992 and Chief Examiner 1985-1988. When the Anaesthetic Technicians Board was formed it had Dr Hutchinson as its Chairman 1993 – 1994.
Dr Hutchinson sat on that Board for a further year and was given life membership of the NZATS Inc in 1992.
The Basil Hutchinson and Excellence (formerly Covidien & Medtronic) awards are annual events where members of the New Zealand Anaesthetic Technicians’ Society (NZATS) are invited to put forward a manuscript of their choosing so they may inform their colleagues of their research and experience.
From 2023 the Basil Hutchinson Award is also open to Perioperative Practice Students.