Pre-Conference Workshops
Workshops on Wednesday 18 March 2026 - 8.00am-12.30pm:
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All clinicians are welcome to attend either or both the Primary Care workshop (in the morning) and the Allied Health workshop (in the afternoon). Designed to be complementary, they can be taken together for a comprehensive day of learning or as a standalone session tailored to your specific clinical role. (Tickets for each workshop sold separately) Pain Assessment and Management in the Primary Care SettingPain is the most common reason that people attend healthcare; however, the assessment and management of pain is poorly taught in clinical programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. One in five adults in New Zealand – about 770,000 people – live with ongoing pain. With specialist pain services across the country woefully under-resourced, this burden is increasingly and unintentionally falling onto primary care.
While the NZPS is continuing to fight for recognition and investment into joined-up community-specialist services across the spectrum of acute-chronic pain within the health service reforms, we know that progress is slow. This half-day workshop aims to equip you with the tools to undertake a biopsychosocial assessment within the limited timeframe of a primary care or emergency department consultation, start appropriate treatment, and initiate referral pathways for your patients living with pain. The workshop will focus on making a pain diagnosis and will cover:
Representatives from ACC and a panel of experts from a range of MDT backgrounds will be available to tackle your tricky questions. This workshop is suitable for any healthcare professional not working in a specialist pain service but regularly encountering adult patients with persistent pain and needing to undertake diagnosis and initial management, for example, GPs, NPs, ED/Urgent Care Doctors, SMOs, RMOs, and community and hospital physios. Presenters:
This Wednesday morning workshop would be complemented by attending the afternoon workshop “Clinical Formulation and Interdisciplinary Care for Allied Health“ with a focus on developing the pain diagnosis into a whole-person formulation and creating an individualised management plan. (Tickets for each workshop sold separately). Vertical Divider
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Group Treatment for Pain Patients: From Pre-Group Preparation to Post-Group DischargeIf you are currently running groups for pain patients OR are interested in running pain management groups in the future, this workshop is for you. "Group Treatment for Pain Patients" is designed for veteran and new pain clinicians in both public and private health settings.
Session will be led by a team with vast group experience in a variety of settings, so material will be both research based and practical. A key focus will be addressing common issues and stuck points group leaders often encounter – How to know if someone is a good fit for group; How to help the patients get through the learning content when they just want to chat; What do with when members don’t want to participate; How to make sure progress is maintained after group is over; and so forth. You will come away from the training able to:
Presenters:
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Workshops on Wednesday 18 March 2026 - 1.00pm-5.00pm:
Clinical Formulation and Interdisciplinary Care for Allied HealthSpecifically tailored for allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, psychologists, and occupational therapists working in community or ACC-funded roles, this workshop focuses on the crucial skills of clinical formulation and IDT working. You will learn how to move from making simple diagnoses to developing comprehensive biopsychosocial formulations that inform your treatment plans. You will also gain a deeper understanding of the roles of all members within the team and the differences and benefits of collaborative interdisciplinary team (IDT) working over siloed MDT work.
Presenters:
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Pain in the ElderlyThe elderly are the fastest growing population across the globe. There are no medical or allied health providers who will not be in contact with the elderly. This workshop equips ALL providers: medical, specialist, allied, community, residential care or support workers with the thorough, robust, evidence-based approach designed for effective care for the elderly. Presenters include a team of medical and allied health experienced clinicians in the field of pain.
You will be introduced to pain management with the biopsychosocial model for holistic care: the assessment process, problem solving, establishing realistic and meaningful collaborative goals and principles of effective intervention for the whole person. Self-management is key; the balance between the old and the new; especially what this looks like in our modern world. All clinicians, including you, can look forward to discovering practical tools in this workshop. You will be guided through caring and effective ways the elderly can be supported, encouraged with community organisations, and directed by your care towards their confidence and where possible, sensible and independent well-being. Presenters:
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Workshops on Thursday 19 March 2026 - 8.00am-12.30pm:
Perioperative Pain Management
This workshop is for all healthcare professionals involved in the surgical journey, including GPs, anaesthetists, surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists, OTs, pharmacists, and psychologists.
It will provide practical solutions to common challenges, with a focus on medical management across: 1. Pre-operative assessment and optimisation 2. Intra-operative pain management 3. Post-operative pain management including discharge, and community care Note: regional anaesthesia training is not included, as this requires a dedicated stand-alone course. Presenter:
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Pain with SexThis half-day workshop approaches sex as an Activity of Daily Living (ADL) that is often impacted by chronic pain. This session is open to clinicians of all types who encounter patients living with persistent pain, whether it is genitopelvic pain or pain originating in other body sites.
Delivered by an experienced multidisciplinary team, the workshop will provide practical strategies and a clear framework for discussing and assessing pain related to sex within the context of a person’s overall pain experience. You will gain confidence in approaching this often-overlooked area of patient care. Key Topics
Presenters:
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Workshops on Thursday 19 March 2026 - 1.00pm-4.30pm:
Bicultural Awareness Training |
Nurses Special Interest Group Meeting
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Whether you work in the community, a health service, or government, your effectiveness will grow with a clear understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti) and its relevance today.
This workshop offers a straightforward introduction to the Treaty—its history, principles, and meaning for life in Aotearoa. You’ll also explore how the Te Whare Tapa Whā model can improve mental health outcomes and support culturally responsive care. Designed for those working in health settings—including doctors, nurses, and allied health staff—this session blends history with practical application in everyday practice. My delivery style is relaxed, with space for discussion and reflection. Learning Outcomes By the end of the workshop, you will:
Presenter: Kereama Carmody |
Whilst primarily having a nursing focus, all clinicians are welcome to this workshop. In 2026 we will be focusing on managing the ‘extra complexities’ that often accompany pain states, such as substance use and mental health/trauma. We will also have an interactive session with members of our LEAP community. This will be focused on communication, improving patient interactions, the lived experience of persistent pain and their work as pain coaches.
Convenor: Sally Fitzgerald, Nurse Practitioner, Christchurch Acute Pain Management Service/Transitional Pain Service
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Professional Groups Networking
4.30pm-5.30pm
4.30pm-5.30pm
- Physiotherapists’ Allied Health Clinical Meeting
- Psychologists’ Allied Health Clinical Meeting
- Occupational Therapists’ Allied Health Clinical Meeting
- Specialist Pain Medicine Physicians’ SIG
- Other (Non-SPMP / Doctors / Pharmacists / Osteopaths)
WELCOME RECEPTION
5.30pm-6.30pm
With our Sponsors and Exhibitors - all delegates and exhibitors are welcome to attend.
5.30pm-6.30pm
With our Sponsors and Exhibitors - all delegates and exhibitors are welcome to attend.
PUB QUIZ
from 7.30pm
Space Academy, 371 St Asaph St
from 7.30pm
Space Academy, 371 St Asaph St
