In This Section

About the Rural Surgery Section

The College is actively developing and delivering solutions to surgical challenges in remote and regional Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Challenges like workforce recruitment, retention and professional development in a rural context are important to the College.

Objectives of the Section

  • to ensure the provision of quality surgical care to the populations of regional, rural and remote areas of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand;
  • to advise the College on the scope and nature of surgical practice in regional, rural and remote Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand;
  • to advise and assist the College with workforce issues relating to the provision of surgical services including recruitment, retention, training and support for surgeons working in regional, rural and remote Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand;
  • to recommend to the Fellowship Services Committee, which funding bodies the College should liaise with to maximise the number of hospital training places suitable for Surgical Trainees in regional, rural and remote areas;
  • to consider incentives to attract Younger Fellows to geographical areas of particular need;
  • to promote and co-ordinate Continuing Professional Development programs for rural surgeons, and
  • prepare and coordinate the Rural Surgery scientific program at the ASC.

Functional relationships

The Rural Surgery Section nominates a representative to the following bodies:

  • The Conjoint Committee
  • General Surgeons Australia (GSA)
  • Board of General Surgery
  • RACS Regional Committees
  • RACS Council (if no rural councillor then co-opted rural councillor nominated by Rural Surgery Section Committee)
  • other relevant internal and external bodies, committees and associations as needed.

Governance

The Section is governed by a Committee as per the Sections Terms of Reference (PDF 177.86KB) reporting to the RACS Fellowship Services Committee.

Rural Surgery Section Committee (RSSC) 2026 – 2028

Dr David Gordon Brown (URO) – Chair (Qld)
Dr Chetan Pradhan (GEN) – Deputy Chair (SA), RACS NRHA representative
Dr Chris Phoon (ORTHO) – Member (AoNZ, South Island)
Dr Sanjeev Naidu (GEN) – Member (QLD)
Dr Xavier Harvey (GEN) – Member (WA)
Dr Morgan Prince (ORTHO) – Member (NSW)
Dr Bree (Brianne) Lauritz (GEN) – Member (Vic)
Dr James Robert-Thomson (GEN) – Member (Tas) 
Dr Zainab Naseem (GEN) – Member (NSW)
Dr Nicolas Oddone-Baridon (GEN) – Member (NSW)
Dr Ben Scott (GEN) – Co-opted (NSW), Younger Fellow
Dr Roberto Sthory (GEN) – Co-opted (AoNZ, North Island)
Dr Jaeme Zwart (PLA) – Co-opted (Qld) RUFUS
A/Prof Mitchell Hansen (NEURO) – Co-opted (NSW)
Dr Alex Britcliffe  (GEN) – Co-opted (Qld), RACSTA representative
Dr Nicola Hill (OHNS) – Co-opted (AoNZ), Councillor 
Dr Richard Bradbury (GEN) – Co-opted (NSW), Councillor
Dr Queenie Chan (PLA) – Co-opted (NSW), Younger Fellow
Dr Tina Dilevska (GEN) – Co-opted (WA) 
Dr Robert Toma (PLA) – Co-opted (Vic)
Dr Bridget Clancy (OHNS) – Co-opted (Vic)
Dr Bernard Carney (PLA) – Co-opted (SA)
Dr Mahmoud Al-Najjar (VAS) – Co-opted (WA)
Dr Hin Wai Yap  (URO) – Co-opted (Qld), Councillor
Dr Joshua Piercey (GEN)– Co-opted (Qld), Rural representative on Trauma Cmtee
Dr John Stuchbery (GEN)– Co-opted (NSW), Surgical Gastrointestinal Endo. Cmtee
Dr Damian Fry (GEN) – Co-opted (Qld), Clinical Director Rural Coach Program
Dr Ravi Mahajani (PLA) - Co-opted (NT)
Dr Alice Febery (Gen) – Co-opted (AoNZ), AoNZ National Cmtee, AoNZ rep RHESC