Associate Professor Wayne Morriss, Our people, University of Otago, Christchurch

Clinical Associate Professor and Specialist Anaesthetist

MBChB(Otago) Dip Obst(Otago) FANZCA

Wayne Morriss is a Specialist Anaesthetist at Christchurch Hospital. He trained in Christchurch and Melbourne, obtained his fellowship in 1999, and then moved to Fiji in 2000 to work as a Senior Lecturer in Anaesthesia and Physiology at the Fiji School of Medicine. He and his family returned to Christchurch in 2002.

Wayne has continued his educational work in the Pacific region and further afield, and has been closely involved with the development and delivery of international educational programmes, such as Essential Pain Management (EPM), Primary Trauma Care (PTC), Safer Anaesthesia From Education (SAFE) and the WFSA Fellowship Programme.

From 2022-2024, Wayne was President of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA), a professional membership organisation representing anaesthesiologists (specialist anaesthetists) in 150 countries worldwide. He also served as President-Elect (2020-2022), Director of Programmes (2016-2020), and Chair of the WFSA Education Committee (2012-2016).

Wayne is passionate about improving access to safe anaesthesia worldwide and is a keen hands-on teacher. He has written and lectured on a range of global anaesthesia-related issues, including international standards, workforce and education.

Research interests

Global anaesthesia and surgical care
Pain management education
Neurosurgical anaesthesia
Resuscitation and trauma management

Publications

Morriss, W., Goucke, R., & Chetty, S. (2025). Pain management in low- and middle-income settings. International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Global Year Fact Sheet. Retrieved from https://www.iasp-pain.org Other Research Output

Morriss, W. (2024). Reflections on 12 years in the WFSA leadership. Australian Anaesthetist Magazine, (September), 26-28. [Commentary]. Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

Law, T. J., Lipnick, M. S., Morriss, W., Gelb, A. W., Mellin-Olsen, J., Filipescu, D., … and Collaborators. (2024). The Global Anesthesia Workforce Survey: Updates and trends in the anesthesia workforce. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 139(1), 15-24. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000006836 Journal - Research Article

McDougall, R. J., Morriss, W. W., Desai, P. K., & Batgombo, N. (2023). Getting capnography to the front lines. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 137(5), 929-933. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000006690 Journal - Research Other

Enright, A. C., & Morriss, W. W. (2023). In response. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 137(3), e31-e32. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000006614 Journal - Research Other

2025

Other Research Output

2024

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

Morriss, W. (2024). Reflections on 12 years in the WFSA leadership. Australian Anaesthetist Magazine, (September), 26-28. [Commentary].

2023

Journal - Research Other

McDougall, R. J., Morriss, W. W., Desai, P. K., & Batgombo, N. (2023). Getting capnography to the front lines. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 137(5), 929-933. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000006690

Enright, A. C., & Morriss, W. W. (2023). In response. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 137(3), e31-e32. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000006614

Tadesse, L., Abdullah, N. H., Awadalla, H. M. I., D'Amours, S., Davies, F., Kissoon, N., Morriss, W., … Reynolds, T. (2023). A global mandate to strengthen emergency, critical and operative care. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 101, 231-231A. doi: 10.2471/BLT.23.289916

Morriss, W. W., & Enright, A. C. (2023). The anesthesia workforce crisis revisited. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 136(2), 227-229. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000006189

2022

Journal - Research Article

Warner, M. A., Arnal, D., Cole, D. J., Hammoud, R., Haylock-Loor, C., Ibarra, P., … Morriss, W. W., … Yazbeck, P. (2022). Anesthesia patient safety: Next steps to improve worldwide perioperative safety by 2030. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 135(1), 6-19. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000006028

Journal - Research Other

Roques, C., Morriss, W., & Haylock-Loor, C. (2022). The other opioid crisis: The situation in low-resource countries (L’autre crise des opioïdes: La situation dans les pays à faibles ressources). Canadian Journal of Anesthesia / Journal canadien d'anesthésie, 69, 923-929. doi: 10.1007/s12630-022-02273-6

2021

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Haylock Loor, C., Duarte, J. C., & Morriss, W. (2021). Essential Pain Management (EPM) teaching in Latin America: Fast local ownership through cascade courses. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 133(3, Suppl. 2), (pp. 514). doi: 10.1213/01.ane.0000791544.44545.82

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Morriss, W. (2021, September). Innovation for low resource environments. Keynote presentation at the 17th World Congress of Anaesthesiologists, [Online].

Morriss, W. (2021, September). Reimagining global anaesthesia. Verbal presentation at the 17th World Congress of Anaesthesiologists, [Online].

Morriss, W. (2021, May). The WFSA and COVID-19. Verbal presentation at the 13th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia, Intensive Care & Pain Management in collaboration with the Lebanese Society of Anesthesiologists, [Online].

Morriss, W. (2021, April). Education: The heart of the matter [Prof Rajani Sundar Endowment Lecture]. Verbal presentation at the 11th National Conference of Academy of Regional Anaesthesia of India, [Online].

Morriss, W. (2021, October). What is quality in the global context? Plenary presentation at the Aotearoa New Zealand Anaesthesia Annual Scientific Meeting, [Online].

Morriss, W. (2021, February). The challenge of global leadership. Verbal presentation at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) New Zealand National Committee (NZNC) Cultural Safety and Leadership Hui, Waitangi, New Zealand.

2020

Chapter in Book - Research

Bashford, T., Morriss, W., Roques, C., Shamambo, N., & Wilkes, M. (2020). Perioperative care. In R. Craven, H. Edgecombe & B. Gupta (Eds.), Global anaesthesia. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/med/9780198809821.003.0005

Bartulec, C., Freedman, R., Hughes, A., Janjanin, S., McCormick, B., Morriss, W., & Reis, A. (2020). Organising your environment. In R. Craven, H. Edgecombe & B. Gupta (Eds.), Global anaesthesia. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/med/9780198809821.003.0002

Journal - Research Article

Jones, C., Wadham, B., Morriss, W., McCombie, A., Evans, M., & Wakeman, C. (2020). An audit of fluid resuscitation practice in trauma patients with major haemorrhage at Christchurch Hospital. New Zealand Medical Journal, 133(1525), 11-17. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Sund, G., Morriss, W., Ikeda, K., Izere, A., & Kwizera, J. C. (2020). Essential pain management at a rural district hospital in Burundi. Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia & Analgesia, 26(5), 250-255. doi: 10.36303/SAJAA.2020.26.5.2395

Moore, J. N., Morriss, W. W., Asfaw, G., Tesfaye, G., Ahmed, A. R., & Walker, I. A. (2020). The impact of the Safer Anaesthesia from Education (SAFE) Obstetric Anaesthesia training course in Ethiopia: A mixed methods longitudinal cohort study. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, 48(4), 297-305. doi: 10.1177/0310057X20940330

Marun, G. N., Morriss, W. W., Lim, J. S., Morriss, J. L., & Goucke, C. R. (2020). Addressing the challenge of pain education in low-resource countries: Essential Pain Management in Papua New Guinea. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 130(6), 1608-1615. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004742

Journal - Research Other

Curtis, A. N., Morriss, W. W., & Sharples, A. (2020). Please mind your language! Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, 48(5), 411-414. doi: 10.1177/0310057X20949556

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

Marun, G. N., Morriss, W. W., Lim, J. S., Morriss, J. L., & Goucke, C. R. (2020). In response [Response to the letter to the editor Addressing the challenge of pain education in low-resource countries: Essential pain management in Papua New Guinea]. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 131(5), e228-e229. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000005130

Lim, J. S., Morriss, W. W., Marun, G. N., Morriss, J. L., & Goucke, C. R. (2020). In response [Response to the letter to the editor Experience of the essential pain management structure to address the challenge of pain education in the United Kingdom]. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 131(6), e256-e257. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000005217

Morriss, J. L., Marun, G. N., Morriss, W. W., Lim, J. S., & Goucke, C. R. (2020). In response [Response to the letter to the editor Essential pain management: Perspective from Nepal]. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 131(5), e231-e232. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000005186

Higgins, A., Morriss, W. W., Gelb, A. W., Makasa, E. M., Gore-Booth, J., Vasco, M., & Mellin-Olsen, J. (2020). 72nd World Health Assembly, Geneva, Switzerland, 2019 [Meeting Report]. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 130(3), e92-e94. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000002486

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Morriss, W. (2020, November). The anaesthesiologists in contemporary times. Verbal presentation at the 28th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists, [Online].

Other Research Output

Morriss, W. (2020, November). The role of anesthesiologists in mass casualty incidents: Personal reflections. Presentation at the Preparing for the Unpredictable: Lessons from the Beirut Explosion webinar, Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, [Online]. [Research Presentation].

2019

Journal - Research Article

Morriss, W., Ottaway, A., Milenovic, M., Gore-Booth, J., Haylock-Loor, C., Onajin-Obembe, B., … Mellin-Olsen, J. (2019). A global anesthesia training framework. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 128(2), 383-387. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000003928

Journal - Research Other

Cooper, M. G., Morriss, W. W., Stone, M., & Merry, A. F. (2019). Global health and anaesthesia: An exciting time. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care. doi: 10.1177/0310057X19861975

Gelb, A. W., Morriss, W. W., Johnson, W., Merry, A. F., on behalf of the International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anesthesia Workgroup. (2019). In reply: Encouraging a bare minimum while striving for the gold standard: A response to the updated WHO-WFSA guideline. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia / Journal canadien d'anesthésie, 66, 129-130. doi: 10.1007/s12630-018-1210-3

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

Morriss, W., Ottaway, A., Milenovic, M., Gore-Booth, J., Haylock-Loor, C., Onajin-Obembe, B., … Mellin-Olsen, J. (2019). In response [Response to the letter to the editor Team effort needed for development and implementation of the Anesthesia Training Framework]. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 128(6), e132-e133. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000004170

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Morriss, W. (2019, April). The WHO-WFSA International Standards: Why are they important? Invited presentation at the 15th Asian and Oceanic Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (AOSRA-PM) Congress and the 6th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Regional Anesthesia (JSRA), Kochi, Japan.

2018

Journal - Research Article

Davies, J. I., Vreede, E., Onajin-Obembe, B., & Morriss, W. W. (2018). What is the minimum number of specialist anaesthetists needed in low-income and middle-income countries? BMJ Global Health, 3(6), e001005. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001005

Morriss, W. W., Milenovic, M. S., & Evans, F. M. (2018). Education: The heart of the matter. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 126(4), 1298-1304. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000002653

Journal - Research Other

Morriss, W. W., & Roques, C. J. (2018). Pain management in low- and middle-income countries. BJA Education, 18(9), 265-270. doi: 10.1016/j.bjae.2018.05.006

Gelb, A. W., Morriss, W. W., Johnson, W., Merry, A. F., on behalf of the International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anesthesia Workgroup. (2018). World Health Organization-World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WHO-WFSA) International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anesthesia. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia / Journal canadien d'anesthésie, 65(6), 698-708. doi: 10.1007/s12630-018-1111-5

Evans, F. M., Duarte, J. C., Haylock, C., & Morriss, W. (2018). Are short subspecialty courses the educational answer? Anesthesia & Analgesia, 126(4), 1305-1311. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000002664

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

Morriss, W., & Merry, A. (2018). What's in a name? ANZCA Bulletin, (March), 7. Retrieved from https://www.anzca.edu.au

Gelb, A. W., Morriss, W. W., Johnson, W., Merry, A. F., on behalf of the International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anesthesia Workgroup. (2018). World Health Organization-World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WHO-WFSA) International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anesthesia. Chinese Journal of Anesthesiology, 38(10), 1158-1165. [Professional Guidelines].

Merry, A., Johnson, W., Morriss, W., Gelb, A., on behalf of the International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anesthesia Workgroup. (2018). International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anesthesia: Third edition gains World Health Organization (WHO) approval. Bulletin of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, 112, 46-47.

Morriss, W. W., Mellin-Olsen, J., Gore-Booth, J., & Kempthorne, P. (2018). In response [Response to the letter to the editor A world of need]. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 126(2), 727-728. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000002643

Gelb, A. W., Morriss, W. W., Johnson, W., Merry, A. F., on behalf of the International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anesthesia Workgroup. (2018). World Health Organization-World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WHO-WFSA) International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anesthesia. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 126(6), 2047-2055. doi: 10.1007/s12630-018-1111-5

Gore-Booth, J., Mellin-Olsen, J., Morriss, W. W., Haylock-Loor, C., Onajin-Obembe, B., & Gelb, A. W. (2018). WFSA describes its vision for implementation of WHA 68.15. Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons, 103(5), 44-48. Retrieved from http://bulletin.facs.org

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Morriss, W. (2018, April). The global anesthesia workforce and the WFSA workforce map [Panel discussion: Universal access and safe anesthesia: Global anesthesia workforce]. Verbal presentation at the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) Annual Meeting and International Science Symposium: Improving Health through Discovery and Education, Chicago, USA.

Morriss, W. (2018, May). The global anaesthesia workforce. Verbal presentation at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) Annual Scientific Meeting, Sydney, Australia.

2017

Journal - Research Article

Kempthorne, P., Morriss, W. W., Mellin-Olsen, J., & Gore-Booth, J. (2017). The WFSA Global Anesthesia Workforce Survey. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 125(3), 981-990. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000002258

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

Morriss, W. W., & Gore-Booth, J. (2017). 70th World Health Assembly, Geneva, Switzerland [Meeting Report]. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 125(6), 2157-2158. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000002486

2016

Journal - Research Article

Cooper, M. C., Wake, P. B., Morriss, W. W., Cargill, P. D., & McDougall, R. J. (2016). Global safe anaesthesia and surgery initiatives: Implications for anaesthesia in the Pacific region. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, 44(3), 420-424.

Journal - Research Other

Gelb, A. W., Enright, A., Merry, A. F., & Morriss, W. (2016). The bare minimum requires caution. World Journal of Surgery, 40(11), 2821-2822. doi: 10.1007/s00268-015-3287-y

2015

Journal - Research Article

Goucke, C. R., Jackson, T., Morriss, W., & Royle, J. (2015). Essential pain management: An educational program for health care workers. World Journal of Surgery, 39(4), 865-870. doi: 10.1007/s00268-014-2635-7

Watters, D. A., Hollands, M. J., Gruen, R. L., Maoate, K., Perndt, H., McDougall, R. J., Morriss, W. W., … McQueen, K. A. (2015). Perioperative Mortality Rate (POMR): A global indicator of access to safe surgery and anaesthesia. World Journal of Surgery, 39, 856-864. doi: 10.1007/s00268-014-2638-4

2012

Journal - Research Other

Goucke, R., & Morriss, W. (2012). Pain management in low and middle income countries (LMIC) just put up with it? Egyptian Journal of Anaesthesia, 28(1), 1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.egja.2011.11.005

1994

Journal - Research Other

Morriss, W. W., La Vies, N. G., Anderson, S. K., & Southgate, H. J. (1994). Acute respiratory distress during Caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia: A probable case of anaphylactoid reaction to Syntocinon. Anaesthesia, 49(1), 41-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1994.tb03312.x

Research interests

Publications

2025

Other Research Output

2024

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

2023

Journal - Research Other

2022

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Research Other

2021

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

2020

Chapter in Book - Research

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Research Other

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Other Research Output

2019

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Research Other

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

2018

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Research Other

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

2017

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

2016

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Research Other

2015

Journal - Research Article

2012

Journal - Research Other

1994

Journal - Research Other

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