History

The Geelong Anaesthetic Group (GAG) is Geelong’s original group practice in the medical speciality of anaesthesia. It exists to provide anaesthesia, pain management and intensive care services to the Geelong community.

The group originated with Dr Geoffrey Darby, who was the city's first specialist anaesthetist. He gained his D.A. in Melbourne in 1956, and his Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1957.

In the mid-1960's, Dr William Crosby and Dr Richard Hallowes were invited to join him. After much discussion their association was named, and it became known in the medical community as "GAG".

Each of the founding three doctors was at some stage Director of Anaesthesia, and Director of Intensive Care at the Geelong Hospital.

Over the decades Geelong Anaesthetic Group has grown with the city and surrounding region it serves.  There are currently 10 members, supported by five office staff. Initially the group had an informal structure, but in September 1989 it was incorporated and became Geelong Anaesthetic Group Pty Ltd.

First located in the grounds of the Geelong Hospital, the group moved in 1987 to nearby premises in Swanston Street, where it remained for 12 years. From early 2000 to June 2009 the group was located at Suite 8 De Garis at Geelong Private Hospital. We are currently located at Suite 5, Level 2 of the new St John of God Specialist Centre, directly across the road from St John of God Hospital.

Geelong Anaesthetic Group is structured as a proprietary limited company employing a practice manager and office staff. The individual practitioners of the group share financial costs and administrative responsibilities but determine their own fees and arrangements with individual health insurance providers.

Geelong Anaesthetic Group functions as a service group which has traditionally acted collectively to provide anaesthetic services. The routine workload of any one member is covered by other members in a reciprocal and co-operative manner.

Management decisions are taken by consensus after discussion, with the emphasis on co-operation and the promotion of common interests and shared values.

Charter

The common interests and shared values of the members of Geelong Anaesthetic Group are expressed in the following aims:

To uphold the highest professional and ethical standards
To strive to provide the very best clinical service to our patients, with total commitment to their safety, comfort, dignity, privacy and peace of mind.
To work together as a group to provide our procedural colleagues with an anaesthetic service based on clinical excellence, delivered in a professional, responsible, timely and supportive manner, whenever and wherever it is required.
To participate in the on-call service for the public and private hospitals of Geelong.
To support and respect colleagues in other specialties and to show professional courtesy and discretion in dealings with them.
To support one another as members of Geelong Anaesthetic Group, sharing the workload, responsibilities and benefits fairly.
To take an active role in professional development and continuing medical education and to actively share knowledge of advances in the art and science of anaesthesia.
To actively participate in quality assurance and peer review programs.
To support and assist the practice manager and staff in their work, to promote the smooth and professional operation of the practice and to assist the GAG staff in their interactions with other practices.
To take an active role in the teaching of trainees in anaesthesia and allied disciplines at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
To promote the understanding and appreciation of the profession of anaesthesia in the wider community and to work to enhance the status of the specialty.
To work to maintain the professional independence of anaesthetists.
To continue to expand the practice as required, to meet the anticipated increase in workload by actively recruiting younger anaesthetists of the highest calibre, who will maintain the service to the local community and continue the good work of the group.