01 · The role
What does an anaesthetist do?
An anaesthetist assesses your health before surgery, chooses and gives the safest anaesthetic for you, monitors and supports your body throughout the operation, and manages your pain and recovery afterwards. The whole span of care is called the perioperative period.
Before
Assess and plan
Pre-admission clinic, a phone call, or on the day of surgery
- Reviews your medical history, medicines, allergies and any previous anaesthetics
- Checks your airway, heart and lungs, and orders tests only if they will change your care
- Explains the options — general, regional, local or sedation — with their benefits and risks
- Agrees a plan with you, including fasting and which medicines to take or stop
- Confirms you consent to the anaesthetic
During
Keep you safe and comfortable
From induction until you are safely handed over
- Gives the anaesthetic — through a drip, a mask, or a nerve or spinal block
- Manages your breathing and airway
- Continuously monitors heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen, breathing and temperature
- Adjusts drugs and fluids moment to moment, and treats blood loss or complications
- Stays with you for the whole operation
After
Wake you and manage pain
Recovery room, then the ward or home
- Wakes you (or wears off the block) and hands you over to recovery nurses
- Prescribes pain relief and treats nausea
- Remains responsible until you have safely recovered from the anaesthetic
- Reviews you on the ward after major surgery, or via the hospital's pain service
Beyond the operating theatre
Anaesthetists' skills in keeping very unwell people stable mean they work well beyond surgery. ANZCA describes anaesthetists as closely involved in resuscitation, intensive care, pain medicine, retrieval (transporting critically ill patients), disaster response and hyperbaric medicine. In Australia you may meet an anaesthetist:
- in the labour ward, for an epidural or an anaesthetic for a caesarean section
- in the pain clinic — specialist pain medicine physicians (FFPMANZCA) train through ANZCA's Faculty of Pain Medicine, and many are anaesthetists
- in intensive care — some anaesthetists also hold the intensive care fellowship (FCICM), and ANZCA and CICM run a dual training pathway
- for sedation during endoscopy, dental work, scans or minor procedures
- in retrieval and emergency teams and on resuscitation teams in hospital
Not sure which kind of anaesthetic you are having? Our guide to the types of anaesthesia explains general, regional, local and sedation in plain English.
Sources: ANZCA, What does an anaesthetist do?; ANZCA PG18 Guideline on monitoring during anaesthesia (2025).
02 · Qualifications
Is an anaesthetist a doctor?
Yes. In Australia, an anaesthetist is a fully qualified medical doctor who has gone on to complete specialist training in anaesthesia. “Specialist anaesthetist” is a protected title under the National Law — only doctors with specialist registration in anaesthesia may use it.
The path is the same as for a surgeon or physician: a university medical degree, at least two years working as a junior doctor in hospitals, then at least five years in the ANZCA anaesthesia training program with two major examinations. On completion they become a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists — FANZCA — and are eligible for specialist registration with the Medical Board of Australia (through Ahpra).
You can check any doctor's specialist registration on the public Ahpra register. Anaesthetists are listed under “Anaesthesia” with the title “Specialist anaesthetist”.
Are anaesthetists “higher” than doctors?
No — they are doctors. Anaesthesia is one of the recognised medical specialties, in the same way that surgery, cardiology or psychiatry are. Specialists are not ranked above one another; they simply have different areas of expertise. On the day of your surgery, your surgeon and your anaesthetist are two specialists working as a team, each responsible for their part of your care.
Sources: Ahpra, What's the point of protected titles? (“‘specialist anaesthetist’ is the protected title”); Medical Board of Australia, Specialist registration; ANZCA, Anaesthesia training program.
03 · Titles explained
Anaesthetist vs anaesthesiologist: what's the difference?
In Australia, the UK, New Zealand and Ireland, the specialist doctor is called an anaesthetist. In the United States and Canada the same specialist doctor is called an anesthesiologist, and “nurse anesthetist” there means a nurse who gives anaesthetics. In Australia, there is no nurse anaesthetist role — anaesthesia is given by doctors.
So if you read American material saying an “anesthetist” is a nurse, that is a difference in terminology, not in who will look after you. Your Australian anaesthetist is the doctor-equivalent of a US anesthesiologist.
| Title | Where used | A doctor? | Training | In Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaesthetist | Australia, NZ, UK, Ireland | Yes | Medical degree + ≥2 yrs hospital + ≥5 yrs ANZCA → FANZCA | The specialist who gives your anaesthetic |
| Anesthesiologist | USA, Canada (also some European countries) | Yes | Medical degree + residency in anesthesiology | Same role as an anaesthetist — different name |
| Rural generalist anaesthetist (GP anaesthetist) | Rural and remote Australia | Yes | GP/rural generalist fellowship + ≥52 weeks ANZCA-standard anaesthesia training | Gives anaesthetics in smaller hospitals where no specialist is normally available |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | USA | No — advanced-practice nurse | Nursing degree + ICU experience + nurse anesthesia program | Role does not exist in Australia |
| Anaesthetic nurse / anaesthetic technician | Australia, NZ | No | Nursing or technician qualification | The anaesthetist's trained assistant — prepares equipment and helps during your anaesthetic, under the anaesthetist's direction |
Sources: Australian Society of Anaesthetists, All about anaesthesia (“There are no nurse anaesthetists practising in Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom”); ANZCA PS59 Roles in anaesthesia and perioperative care; ANZCA Rural generalist anaesthesia FAQs; ANZCA PS08 The assistant for the anaesthetist.
04 · Training
How long does it take to become an anaesthetist in Australia?
At least 12 years, and often more. ANZCA puts it at “a minimum of 12 years” of study: a medical degree (4–6 years), at least two years of general hospital work as a junior doctor, and at least five years of ANZCA specialist training. Many anaesthetists add a further fellowship year in a sub-specialty.
- Years 1–6 · Medical school
Medical degree
Either a 5–6 year undergraduate medical degree, or a 3-year degree followed by a 4-year graduate Doctor of Medicine. Graduates register as doctors.
- + at least 2 years · Hospital
Internship and residency
Working as a junior doctor across medicine, surgery and emergency. ANZCA requires at least 104 weeks of pre-vocational experience before trainees register, including a year outside anaesthesia and intensive care.
- + at least 5 years · ANZCA
Specialist anaesthesia training (260 weeks)
Introductory and basic training (2 years, primary exam), advanced training (2 years, final exam), then a provisional fellowship year — all in supervised clinical placements at accredited hospitals.
- Fellowship
FANZCA and specialist registration
Admitted as a Fellow of ANZCA and registered as a specialist anaesthetist. Many then complete a further fellowship year in cardiac, paediatric, obstetric, regional or pain medicine, and all must keep up continuing professional development for the rest of their career.
- Total from the start of universityAt least 12 years
Why the range? Medical school length differs (undergraduate versus graduate entry), many doctors spend extra years in hospital before winning a competitive training post, and training may be done part-time. Some sources say “13 years” — that reflects a longer degree or extra hospital years, not a different program. ANZCA's own position statement describes specialist anaesthetists as doctors with “a minimum of seven years of training after graduation from medical school”.
Sources: ANZCA, Considering a career in anaesthesia? (“a minimum of 12 years”); ANZCA Regulation 37 (260 weeks; 104 weeks pre-vocational); ANZCA PS59.
05 · On the day
Meeting your anaesthetist: what to expect
For most routine surgery you will meet your anaesthetist on the day, before you go to theatre. If you have significant health conditions or are having major surgery, you will usually be seen earlier — at a pre-admission clinic or by phone — so there is time to plan.
ANZCA's guideline on the pre-anaesthesia consultation describes review before admission as the ideal, and asks hospitals to allow extra time on the day for patients admitted that morning. Either way, the conversation is short but important. Your anaesthetist will want to know about:
- your medical conditions — especially heart, lung, kidney, liver, diabetes, reflux and sleep apnoea
- every medicine you take, including over-the-counter, herbal and recreational drugs
- allergies and reactions
- previous anaesthetics and any problems — including in your blood relatives
- smoking, vaping and alcohol
- loose teeth, caps or dentures
- when you last ate and drank (follow the fasting times your hospital gives you)
Answer frankly — nothing you say will be judged, and all of it changes how safely your anaesthetic can be planned.
What is the “stuff that knocks you out”?
For a general anaesthetic, the anaesthetist most often injects a short-acting anaesthetic drug — usually propofol, a white liquid sometimes called “milk of amnesia” — through a drip in your hand or arm. You feel it take effect within seconds. Sometimes, especially for children, anaesthesia is started with an anaesthetic gas breathed through a mask instead. Once you are asleep, the anaesthetic is kept going with gas or a continuous infusion, together with pain-relief medicines and, when needed, muscle relaxants.
Why do they ask you to count backwards?
Some anaesthetists ask you to count backwards from ten as the anaesthetic goes in. It gives you something calm to focus on, and when you drift off mid-count it lets the anaesthetist see you’ve gone to sleep. Many anaesthetists simply chat with you instead — either way is fine.
Does the anaesthetist stay for the whole operation?
Yes. ANZCA's monitoring guideline requires the anaesthetist to be constantly present from the start of the anaesthetic until you are safely handed over — usually to the recovery nurses. The only exceptions are brief absences in exceptional circumstances, during which your care is handed to another suitably trained practitioner. Your anaesthetist is not the surgeon: they are there precisely so that someone is watching you, and only you, the whole time.
Sources: ANZCA PG07 Guideline on pre-anaesthesia consultation and patient preparation (2023); ANZCA PG18 Guideline on monitoring during anaesthesia (2025), clauses 5.2–5.3.
06 · Checklist
Questions to ask your anaesthetist
Tick the ones that matter to you, then print or save the list to bring to your appointment. Your anaesthetist will be glad you asked.
07 · Safety
How safe is anaesthesia? Is dying under anaesthesia rare?
Very rare. ANZCA's most recent national mortality report (2018–2020) found an anaesthesia-related death rate of about 1 in 64,000 anaesthetics in Australia — and three-quarters of those deaths were in emergency surgery on patients who were already very unwell.
Australia and New Zealand are among the safest places in the world to have an anaesthetic. That safety is not luck: it comes from the length of specialist training, continuous monitoring standards, equipment checks, and an anaesthetist whose only job during your operation is to watch over you.
Your own risk depends on your health, the urgency and size of the operation, and the type of anaesthetic. Common side effects — sore throat, nausea, drowsiness, shivering — are far more likely than serious harm, and your anaesthetist will discuss the risks that apply to you. This page is general information, not a substitute for that conversation.
Source: ANZCA, Safety of Anaesthesia report 2018–2020 (“1 in 63,999 anaesthetics”; 75% emergency surgery).
08 · Fees
How anaesthetist fees work in Australia
In private hospitals and day surgeries, your anaesthetist is a separate specialist and sends a separate account from the surgeon's and the hospital's. Medicare and your health fund each contribute, and the difference — if any — is your “gap”. In public hospitals as a public patient, there is no charge.
Anaesthetists set their own fees, as all private specialists do. The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) lists anaesthesia services in Group T10, priced with the Relative Value Guide: units for the type of operation, plus units for how long the anaesthetic lasts, plus modifiers for things like emergencies or a patient's age or health. That is why a long, complex operation costs more to anaesthetise than a short one.
For a private in-hospital procedure:
- Medicare pays 75% of the MBS fee for each item.
- Your health fund pays at least the remaining 25% — and often more, if your anaesthetist uses the fund's gap-cover scheme.
- You pay whatever is left. Anaesthetists who bill under a fund's “no-gap” arrangement leave nothing for you to pay; others charge a known gap.
You are entitled to informed financial consent: an estimate of the fee and your likely out-of-pocket cost before your procedure, preferably in writing. Ask your surgeon who else will be treating you, and contact the anaesthetist's rooms (or their billing service) for a quote.
Why are anaesthetists well paid? We won't speculate about incomes. What is true is that fees reflect at least 12 years of training, the responsibility of keeping an unconscious person alive and stable, the length and complexity of each case, and the fact that an anaesthetist can only care for one patient at a time. Most of the fee is funded by Medicare and health funds, not by patients directly.
Read more: anaesthetist fees explained and does Medicare pay for an anaesthetist? If you have received an invoice from an anaesthetist we bill for, you can pay it online.
Sources: privatehealth.gov.au, Out of pocket costs; Commonwealth Ombudsman, Informed Financial Consent; Services Australia, Relative Value Guide for anaesthesia billing.
09 · The word
How to spell and pronounce “anaesthetist”
In Australia it is spelled anaesthetist (with “ae”) and pronounced uh-NEES-thuh-tist, with the stress on the second syllable. Anesthetist is the American spelling. Both are correct in their own countries.
uh-NEES-thuh-tist
/əˈniːs.θə.tɪst/ · four syllables · stress on nees
Tip: “a-NEES” rhymes with “a niece”.
How do you spell anaesthetist?
| Spelling | Used in | Related words |
|---|---|---|
| anaesthetist | Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland, South Africa | anaesthesia, anaesthetic, anaesthetise |
| anesthetist | United States, Canada | anesthesia, anesthetic, anesthetize, anesthesiologist |
Common misspellings to avoid: anesthetist (fine in the US, not Australian), anaethetist, anaesthatist, anaesthesist, anethetist, anaesthetis. The trick: an-aes-thet-ist — “aes” in the middle, “thet” before “ist”.
Where the word comes from
The root is the Greek anaisthēsia — “without sensation” (an- “without” + aisthēsis “feeling”). The word existed in English before surgical anaesthesia did. After William Morton's public demonstration of ether at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on 16 October 1846, the physician and writer Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote to Morton on 21 November 1846: “The state should, I think, be called anæsthesia… The adjective will be anæsthetic.” Anaesthetist — “one who administers anaesthetics” — is recorded from 1861.
Sources: Holmes–Morton letter, 21 Nov 1846, reproduced at general-anaesthesia.com; Online Etymology Dictionary, “anesthetist”.
10 · Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is an anaesthetist a doctor in Australia?
Yes. An Australian anaesthetist is a medical doctor who has completed at least five years of specialist training with ANZCA after their medical degree and junior-doctor years. “Specialist anaesthetist” is a legally protected title that only doctors with specialist registration in anaesthesia may use.
What is the difference between an anaesthetist and an anaesthesiologist?
Only the name. “Anaesthetist” is the Australian, British and New Zealand term for the specialist doctor; “anesthesiologist” is the American and Canadian term for the same role. In the US, “nurse anesthetist” refers to a nurse, which is why the words can be confusing.
Does the anaesthetist stay for the whole operation?
Yes. ANZCA's monitoring guideline requires the anaesthetist to be constantly present from the start of your anaesthetic until you are safely handed over to recovery staff. Brief absences are allowed only in exceptional circumstances, with your care handed to another suitably trained practitioner.
How long does it take to become an anaesthetist in Australia?
At least 12 years from the start of university: a medical degree (4–6 years), at least two years as a junior hospital doctor, and at least five years of ANZCA specialist training. Many anaesthetists add a further sub-specialty fellowship year.
What does FANZCA mean?
Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists — the specialist qualification awarded on completing ANZCA's anaesthesia training program and examinations. You may also see FFPMANZCA (Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine) and FCICM (Fellow of the College of Intensive Care Medicine).
Are there nurse anaesthetists in Australia?
No. The Australian Society of Anaesthetists states there are no nurse anaesthetists practising in Australia, and ANZCA's position is that the provision of anaesthesia is a medical role. Anaesthetic nurses and technicians assist the anaesthetist but do not give anaesthetics independently.
Will I meet my anaesthetist before surgery?
Yes. For routine surgery this is usually on the day, before you go to theatre. If you have significant health problems or are having major surgery, you will normally be assessed earlier at a pre-admission clinic or by phone.
How much does an anaesthetist cost?
It depends on the operation, how long it takes, your health, and the anaesthetist's fee. In a private hospital Medicare pays 75% of the MBS fee and your health fund at least 25%; any amount above that is your gap. Ask for a written estimate before your procedure — you are entitled to informed financial consent. Our anaesthetist fees guide has more detail.
How do you pronounce anaesthetist?
uh-NEES-thuh-tist, with the stress on the second syllable (“nees”). In IPA: /əˈniːs.θə.tɪst/.
Is it anaesthetist or anesthetist?
Both are correct. “Anaesthetist” is the Australian, British and New Zealand spelling; “anesthetist” is American. In Australia, use “anaesthetist”.
11 · About this guide
Who wrote this, and why
Dr Brad Hindson MBBS, FANZCA · Specialist anaesthetist
Brad is a practising specialist anaesthetist in regional Victoria and the founder of Fast Tracking Anaesthetic Billing Services, which manages billing for anaesthetists across Australia. He wrote and reviewed this guide. Last reviewed .
General information only. This page explains what anaesthetists do in Australia. It is not medical advice and does not replace a conversation with your own doctor or anaesthetist, who know your health and your procedure. If you have questions about your anaesthetic, ask them — before the day if you can.
For patients
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