Tristan de Chalain resigns

Tristan de Chalain has resigned from the Auckland cleft team at Middlemore effective 18th May 2008.  Tristan has been a plastic surgeon with the team for the past 11 years.

For those families that have had the privilege of having Tristan as their surgeon, this is a time of transition.  If you would like to pass on your thanks to Tristan, please contact the Support Group.  Ring 0800 4 CLEFT or e-mail susan@cleft.org.nz 

The following information is given to alleviate any possible anxieties you may be feeling around this change.

Surgical Future for your child

Management at Middlemore Hospital are committed to providing a world class quality cleft service into the future.  

In New Zealand we are fortunate to have a public health system which caters for complex health needs such as those our children born with a cleft lip and/or palate have.  This means that there is a commitment to funding a full service including Plastic surgery, ENT specialty, Orthodontics and Speech Language Therapy services.  There is also a commitment to co-ordinating all the individual specialist areas our children require. The public health system is skilled in this co-ordination function. Congruent to the Support Group’s vision, purpose and future direction for the organisation, Middlemore are also growing the service in lines with international best practice.

One of the management challenges is staffing.  Annie Tyson together with Glenn Bartlett, Alan Wilson and other cleft team members are involved in planning processes to ensure the sustainability of the cleft team.  This planning is constantly undertaken and can be a fluid process, having many individual career development paths involved. 

Short term to Medium Term Plan

Megan Sanders and Annie Tyson are currently actively reviewing Tristan’s existing surgical lists to ensure a smooth transition to new Surgeons for all of his caseload.

All new babies born will be seen and treated by Glenn Bartlett.  Glenn has been with the cleft team for the past 10 years.   Glenn will also be completing any of Tristan’s work which is due now.

Many families with older children are in a phase of their cleft care which requires the skills of the Speech Language Therapist and /or Orthodontist.  Megan Sanders is working closely with Maeve Morrison (SLT) and Heather Keall and Mark Pinkerton (Orthodontists) to co-ordinate this group of patients.

Medium to Long term plan

An additional consultant Plastic Surgeon should be giving support to Glenn by mid to late July 2008. 

The goal is to appoint 1-3 Cleft/Craniofacial Surgeons between 2009 – 2012.  Work is currently being undertaken to secure these new staffing positions.

Require further information?  Ring Middlemore or the Support Group

Annie Tyson                     Service Manager Plastic Surgery                 09 276 0044 extension 8725

Megan Sanders               Cleft Service Co-ordinator                            09 276 0044 extension 8922

Susan Frear                      Cleft Lip & Palate Support Group                0800 4(CLEFT)  0800 425 338