SCENZ group members

Nicole Anderson

Nicole Anderson (Ngāpuhi) brings experience in working with Māori, iwi, hāpu, whānau and Māori communities along with a knowledge of te ao Māori. She works primarily with public sector and private sector organisations advancing Māori and iwi interests. As a Chartered Director, with a background in health, business development and accountancy she currently sits on a variety of Crown and private entity Boards. A business owner in both the manufacturing and retail sectors, with a varied career that has led to a practical approach to governance. Ms Anderson is a Co-Chair of the SCENZ group.

Dr Caroline Ansley

Dr Caroline Ansley, New Zealand Pakeha, is a general practitioner based in Christchurch. She is a fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. In addition to her clinical expertise, Dr Ansley is a senior clinical editor for Community Healthpathways, and through this role, is able to facilitate communication about the implementation of the act to general practice teams, and to feedback concerns from general practice about its practical implementation to the SCENZ Group. Dr Ansley believes she can contribute to the SCENZ Group by utilising her experience in working with diverse groups of stakeholders to provide streamlined consistent delivery of care.

Dr Michael Austen

Dr Michael Austen, New Zealand European, is a specialist physician in Occupational and Environmental Medicine and in Urgent Care and is based in Wellington. Dr Austen is a Fellow of both the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal New Zealand College of Urgent Care. He is also an enrolled barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. Dr Austen works in clinical practice in Urgent Care and as a clinical advice manager for ACC. In his ACC role, he provides oversight of the clinical advice that specialist clinical staff provide within ACC’s legislative framework.  Dr Austen will contribute to the SCENZ Group in preparing standards of care and advising on the required medical and legal procedures.

Dr Kynan Bazley

Dr Kynan Bazley, New Zealand European, is currently a general practitioner based in Nelson. He has recently returned from remote family medicine general practice in Canada where he was a physician lead for the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program in a rural region. He has assessed and provided MAiD services to patients. Dr Bazley has also worked in palliative care delivery. Dr Bazley is a member of the Ministry’s informal sector advisory network that has been established as part of the End of Life Choice Act implementation programme.

Heather Browning

Heather Browning, New Zealand European, is a director and owner of a company providing service audits and projects, largely in the disability sector. She’s a member of the consumer reference group of Te Aho o Te Kahu, Cancer Control Agency and is an elected member of MidCentral DHB. Ms Browning has held a number of governance and board roles, including ministerial appointed roles.  In addition to her work and volunteer experience in the disability sector, Ms Browning has recent personal experience of family members in end of life care and believes her insights will assist with the work of the SCENZ Group.

Dr Gary Cheung

Dr Gary Cheung, Chinese, is currently a specialist old age psychiatrist working at the University of Auckland and Auckland District Health Board.  Dr Cheung holds a PhD in Psychiatry and is the Director of Academic Programme for the Northern Region Psychiatry Training Programme. He is recognised as a leader in post-graduate psychiatry training and has published extensively. Dr Cheung has particular expertise in capacity assessment training and research, suicide prevention in older adults and working with Māori, Pacific and Asian communities. Dr Cheung is a member of the Ministry’s informal sector advisory network that has been established as part of the End of Life Choice Act implementation programme.

Máté Hegedus-Gaspar

Máté Hegedus-Gaspar, European, is currently a pharmacist and pharmacy manager based in Christchurch. He holds a Master of Laws (Hons) and is aiming to be admitted as a lawyer this year. Mr Hegedus-Gaspar has also worked as a teaching assistant at Lincoln University tutoring in commercial law. He has studied and written on pharmacy and legal aspects of assisted dying. Since 2019 he has been the Secretary of the Independent Pharmacists Association of New Zealand. Mr Hegedus-Gaspar was previously a pharmacy owner and a member of the Pharmacy Council of Hungary.

Dr Te Hurinui Karaka-Clarke

Dr Te Hurinui Karaka-Clarke, Te Arawa, Ngāi Tahu, is currently the Deputy Head of School/Senior Lecturer at the College of Education at the University of Canterbury, based in Christchurch. Dr Karaka-Clarke holds qualifications in Te Reo Māori and is able to read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review Te Reo, and has numerous publications and conference presentations in his chosen field. He has expressed a personal interest in the process of end of life care and is willing to share his knowledge about custom and protocols that will guide and impact the work of the SCENZ Group.

Leanne Manson

Leanne Manson, Ngāti Tama Ki Te Tauihu, Te Ātiawa, is currently a Policy Analyst Māori for the New Zealand Nurses Organisation based in Wellington. She is a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor’s degree in Māori studies and a Master’s degree in Public Health and has an in-depth understanding of Te Reo and Tikanga Maōri. She is published in her chosen areas of academic interest. Ms Manson has governance experience on several iwi boards and organisations, including as an iwi representative on a District Health Board (DHB). Her Masters’ thesis was on the topic of Māori nurse’s perspective of assisted dying. Ms Manson feels she can contribute to the SCENZ Group to improve and guide cultural care in end of life care settings.

Philip Patston

Philip Patston, New Zealand European, is a company director and owner based in Auckland. Originally a social worker, Mr Patston’s work focuses on leading change in organisations that embraces curiosity and enquiry into diversity, complexity and uncertainty. He has considerable board and governance experience. Mr Patston brings skills in governance, leadership development, change and project management.

Dr Jackie Robinson

Dr Jackie Robinson, New Zealand European, is a Senior Lecturer and Nurse Practitioner at the University of Auckland.  She has worked as a lead nurse practitioner in palliative care based in Auckland working in the acute hospital and residential aged care settings. She has previously been co-chair of the Auckland DHB clinical ethics advisory group and a member of the Ministry of Health Palliative Care advisory group. Dr Robinson holds a PhD and has published extensively. Her area of research focuses on equity in palliative and end of life care, for which she has received multiple awards. Dr Robinson holds a number of governance roles and has considerable working group, committee and board experience.

Dr Jessica Young

Dr Jessica Young, New Zealand European, is a post-doctoral fellow at the School of Health, Victoria University of Wellington, based in Wellington. Dr Young has extensive experience researching assisted dying using a variety of methods. To continue sharing the views of the terminally ill people who Dr Young interviewed for her PhD research, she was part of a non-partisan campaign that sought to provide high-quality evidence-based information during the End of Life Choice referendum. Dr Young brings skills in research, data collection and stakeholder engagement, and an in-depth knowledge of the relevant international legislation. She is a member of the Ministry’s informal sector advisory network that has been established as part of the End of Life Choice Act implementation programme.