Delivering the safest anaesthesia guided by evidence-based medicine.
Meet the Admin team – From Left, Danica, Rianna, Rosslyn, Laurel and Jodie
Please click on your anaesthesia specialist below for more information.
MB ChB 1988, DA (UK) 1992, FFARCSI 1995, FANZCA 1998, CPM(ANZCA) 1998, Master Practitioner NLP; Certificate in Hypnotherapy
Undergraduate training: Birmingham University (UK)
Anaesthetic Training: London (University College London, The Middlesex, Whipps Cross, The Whittington), Brisbane, Townsville, Ipswich, Gold Coast
Current Appointments: Specialist Anaesthetist, northside anaesthesia.
Subspecialty Interests: Anaesthesia for Obstetrics, Plastic surgery, and Gastrointestinal procedures, Perioperative Medicine, Pain relief Professional Memberships: Australian Association of Anaesthetists, AMA, Australian Pain Society, International Association for the Study of Pain, Australian Lifestyle Medicine Association.
Dr Astley Cottrell has special interests in obstetrics and weight loss surgery. He trained at the Royal Brisbane and Womans hospital, where he undertook a combined fellowship in obstetrics and bariatric surgery.
Dr. Ben Crooke is a specialist anaesthetist with a passion for providing exceptional care to patients undergoing ophthalmic, urological and robotic surgery. After graduating from the University of Queensland Medical School in 2004, Dr. Crooke completed his internship and residency at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
In 2008 he was admitted to the anaesthetic training program, receiving comprehensive training in various public hospitals across south-east Queensland. Ben furthered his expertise through advanced training at the Royal Brisbane Hospital and completed a fellowship in Regional Anaesthesia and Airway Anaesthesia.
Throughout his career, Ben has remained dedicated to advancing the field of anaesthetics through research and education. He was a principal researcher in a randomized control trial on ultrasound-guided neuraxial anaesthesia and has been actively involved as an instructor in regional anaesthesia and advanced airway courses. Additionally, Ben has contributed to scholarly publications, including articles and book chapters, focusing on complex airway management and is a co-author of the ANZCA Airway Syllabus.
From 2013, Ben served as an Anaesthetic Consultant at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, while also working within the private hospital system. Since 2017, he has exclusively dedicated his expertise to private practice. He is one of Australia’s most experienced anaesthetists for urological robotic surgery, having undertaken over 2500 robotic surgery operations, and provides care for various other urological procedures.
Ben is the Anaesthetic Director at South Brisbane Hospital and works with numerous Ophthalmologists from the Queensland Eye Institute at this facility. He has extensive experience in Ophthalmic anaesthesia and rapid recovery day procedures and has performed over 20,000 anaesthetics for eye surgeries.
Dr. Crooke’s commitment to patient-centred care, combined with his wealth of experience and expertise, ensures the safety and comfort of patients undergoing surgical procedures in Brisbane’s private hospital system.
MBBS (Syd), FANZCA, B.A (Eng/Comm), Dip.Fin (FP), FAMAC
Dr David Ho graduated from Sydney University and completed his anaesthetic training at the Westmead Hospital in Sydney. For advanced paediatric training, he completed his fellowships at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead and at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children in Canada. He then returned to Australia as a Consultant Anaesthetist at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead and then at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane. He joined Northside Anaesthesia since 2001 to further his adult anaesthetic interests which include ENT, obstetric, regional and neuro-anaesthesia.
Being a slow but persistent learner, Dr Ho managed to complete a Bachelor of Arts, with double majors in English Literature and Communications, and a Diploma of Finance, majoring in Financial Planning, in the last ten years. Currently, he is trying to learn piano without much success and spends much time cycling, running and swimming instead.
Dr Ho completed his acupuncture training in 2017 with the Australian Medical Acupuncture College. He is able to treat patients with many types of acupuncture including electro-acupuncture, laser therapy, auricular acupuncture and moxibustion for a wide range of conditions.
I graduated from the University of Tasmania with honours in 1995. Seeking warmer climes I took up a residency post at Royal Brisbane Hospital in 1997. I entered anaesthetic training in 2000. My 5 years of training included 3 years in Brisbane, one year in Cairns and a fellowship year at the well regarded Papworth Hospital in Cambridge UK.
Following my fellowship year in cardio-thoracic anaesthesia I returned to Brisbane and took up a post as a staff specialist at The Prince Charles Hospital. I joined Northside Anaesthesia in 2007 and split my time between public and private anaesthesia. In 2023 after 25 years working for Queensland Health I decided to retire from cardio-thoracic anaesthesia and now work full-time in private mainly focussing on anaesthesia for Gynaecology, Urology and Gastroenterology.
Dr James Johnson is a consultant Anaesthetist who joined Northside Anaesthesia in early 2017. James grew up in rural Queensland and graduated from the University of Queensland Medical School in 2003. He worked in a variety of Queensland Hospitals as a junior doctor in a range of specialty areas including cardiac and respiratory medicine, intensive care, surgery and emergency medicine.
James undertook his training in Anaesthesia in Brisbane and became a fellow of the Australia New Zealand College of Anaesthetists in 2013. During this time he spent the majority of his time at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospitals establishing the experience that comes with working in a major tertiary trauma centre and complex obstetric hospital. James has further developed an interest in regional anaesthesia (nerve blocks) and point of care ultrasound skills. In 2013 he left Australia for a year to undertake additional training in Toronto Canada working with world leading clinicians and researchers at the Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Hospital and the Women’s College Hospitals. During this time he developed and authored a number of research publications and clinical trials related to nerve blocks and their benefits in improving post operative analgesia.
On returning to Australia in late 2014 James commenced working part-time at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospitals where he has continued to make a significant contribution to expanding regional and ultrasound anaesthesia skills, partnering to undertake further research studies and regularly teaching at local and national workshops. James currently works part of the week in private anaesthesia practice where he maintains a broad area of interests including Bariatric Surgery, General Surgery, Urology, Orthopaedics, Gastroenterology, Obstetric and Gynaecology.
When not working James has a wide range of interests and hobbies including camping, bush walking, snow sports and travel.
Dr Rebecca Kamp is a Brisbane anaesthetist who completed her medical and anaesthetic specialist training in South East Queensland. While she currently provides anaesthesia services for a broad range of surgical specialties her areas of clinical interest are anaesthesia for gynaecological surgery, neurosurgery, the fields of peri-operative medicine and pain management. Dr Kamp is currently completing a Masters in Perioperative Medicine at Monash University. She also has a strong interest in medical education and teaching and is a local facilitator for the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) Anaesthetists as Educators Program.
Dr Kamp works in both public and private practice, with a current appointment as an anaesthetic staff specialist at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, where she enjoys teaching and mentoring anaesthetic trainees, being part of the acute pain management service and anaesthetising for a broad range of surgical procedures. Dr Kamp is passionate about providing high quality anaesthetic care tailored to the need of the individual patient. Dr Kamp looks forward to being part of the team caring for you and welcomes any feedback you may have.
Dr Anton Loewenthal is a specialist anaesthetist at Northside Anaesthesia. He graduated in Medicine with honours from the University of Queensland and worked as a junior doctor at the Mater Misericordiae and Royal Brisbane Hospitals. He held registrar positions in Emergency Medicine and Paediatric Intensive Care before embarking on Anaesthesia as his chosen specialty. Anton gained diverse experience in his early career by studying and working in a variety of locations ranging from metropolitan Brisbane to central, northern and western Queensland, and further afield including Johannesburg, Boston and Oxford. His anaesthesia training was completed with a fellowship year in ENT and maxillofacial anaesthesia at the Academisch Ziekenhuis Nijmegen (Radboud University Medical Centre) in The Netherlands. Anton’s principle workload is in private practice with the team at Northside Anaesthesia but he also holds a Visiting Medical Officer (Senior Specialist) position at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital where he takes an active role in the training of medical students, junior doctors and future anaesthetists. Complementing this appointment, Anton utilised his leadership and advocacy skills when elected Chair of the Queensland Regional Committee of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.
He is a member of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists and the Australian Medical Association, and strives to improve his skills through the Continuing Professional Development program of his College. Anton’s major areas of expertise include anaesthesia for Maxillofacial and ENT surgery with a particular interest in difficult airway management. His other clinical areas include orthopaedic, urological and neurosurgical anaesthesia, and he is accredited to practice at most of the private hospitals in Brisbane. He is also available for consultation at northside anaesthesia. Outside of the medical environment, Anton loves travel and fine food. He enjoys boating, surfing and cycling, and believes that an active mind and body are fundamental to enjoying life’s pleasures.
Dr. Ben Loh graduated in medicine at the University of Queensland in 1989. His interest in the specialty of Anaesthesia developed early in his career after building up clinical skills in coronary care, intensive care and emergency medicine in various hospitals including Redcliffe Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Hong Kong) and Maryborough Hospital. He underwent Anaesthetic specialty training at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. In 2001 he left Royal Brisbane Hospital to start in private practice. He has special interest in Anaesthesia for spine surgery and knee replacement surgery. He has extensive knowledge and experience in Anaesthetics for spinal operations after working with various spine surgeons for many years.
Dr Loh has appointment as a consultant Anaesthetist in all major hospitals in Brisbane. He is also a clinical tutor at the Wesley Medical School and St. Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital. Outside work he enjoys traveling and dabbles in travel photography.
I graduated from the University of Birmingham in 1999 and spent a year as a pre-registration house officer in Birmingham, Walsall and Stoke-on-Trent. Having spent the Millennium night on-call at Selly Oak Hospital, I applied to work for a year in Mackay in 2000 and have been in Australia ever since!
Since 2000 I have worked exclusively in Queensland with positions in general medicine, intensive care, and anaesthesia. I began training as a specialist anaesthetist in 2005 and undertook rotations through Rockhampton, Royal Brisbane and Women’s and The Prince Charles Hospitals. As part of my training I undertook a 6 month registrar rotation with Careflight in pre-hospital and retrieval medicine in 2006 and continued to undertake aeromedical work until 2013, crewing rescue helicopters and fixed wing aircraft in Gold Cold, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Townsville and Toowoomba. In 2007 I was awarded the Diploma in Immediate Medical Care of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
I completed my specialist training in 2010 with the award of Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and currently work at Northside Anaesthesia and at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital as a Staff Anaesthetist where I have special interests in anaesthesia for trauma and emergency surgery and major incident management. In my private practice I have particular interests in anaesthesia for orthopaedic and maxillofacial surgery.
Qualifications – BSc, MBBS, FANZCA, Graduate Diploma Pain Medicine
Special Interests in Anaesthesia – Perioperative Medicine, Major GI Surgery, Obstetric Anaesthesia
Dr Meldon completed her medical degree in 2010 at the University of Queensland. She commenced her anaesthetic training in 2015 and through training worked in both Brisbane and regional centres throughout Queensland. She received her Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) in 2021. She works in public practice at both Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Redcliffe Hospital and has been a member of Northside Anesthesia in private practice since 2021.
Dr Meldon is actively involved in teaching both anaesthetic trainees and other junior doctors. She is an ANZCA Scholar Role Tutor and an instructor on courses run by the Royal Australian College of Surgeons to improve recognition and management of critically unwell patients.
B.Pharm., M.B.B.S., FANZCA.
Dr Robert Miskeljin is a specialist anaesthetist that works at all private hospitals in Brisbane and as a VMO at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. He commenced working in the health industry by completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Queensland in 1995. After travelling and working in London, he returned to Australia and decided to change careers. Rob moved to Sydney to complete his medical training. After graduating from the University of Sydney in 2004 he returned to Brisbane with his wife and new twin girls. He undertook his residency and Anaesthetic training based at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and become a specialist Anaesthetist in 2012.
Rob completed a peadiatric fellowship at the Royal Children’s Hospital. He has a special interest in obstetric and paediatric anaesthesia. He is involved in education and teaching and enjoys simulation based teaching for crisis management as well as airway management. He maintains his highest clinical patient care with attending national and international conferences and enjoys the challenges of continuously improving and delivering excellence in Anaesthesia.
When he is not working, he enjoys traveling, food, reading, photography, skiing and competing in everything with his daughters.
BHB, MBChB, FANZCA
Dr Kalmin Senaratne completed his medical degree at the University of Auckland in 2004 and following the completion of his intern year moved to Brisbane in 2005. He completed his anaesthesia training in Brisbane with hospital posts at Redcliffe, Nambour and Royal Brisbane Hospitals. At the Royal Brisbane Hospital, he undertook a fellowship in anaesthesia for Bariatric and Upper Gastrointestinal surgery. He has been a specialist anaesthetist in Brisbane since 2012.
He has a special interest in anaesthesia for weight loss and gastrointestinal surgery as well as regional anaesthesia. He is exposed to a diverse range of surgeries and acuity levels at Redcliffe hospital where he works as a staff specialist anaesthetist.
Outside of work Kalmin enjoys spending time with his 2 young sons as well as cycling, and playing squash. He has recently taken up the guitar much to his family’s annoyance.
Dr. Ivan Rapchuk has been trained in both Canada and Australia, and has a fellowship in cardiothoracic anaesthesia with a special interest in perioperative echocardiography as well as regional anaesthesia / acute pain management.
He is the director of both the Acute Pain Management Service and Pre-anaesthetic Clinic at The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane. Dr Rapchuk is the Co-Clinical Chair of the Queensland Statewide Anaesthesia and Perioperative Care Clinical Network (SWAPNet) and has significant interest in health system management and research.
B.Com., B.A., B.Med. (Hons), FANZCA.
Dr Paul Scott is an Anaesthetic Specialist at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and works privately at all hospitals in Brisbane. Paul has undertaken extensive training in anaesthesia both in Australia and overseas. He continues to develop his skills with regular training and updates to ensure his patients are receiving the highest quality care.
Paul has a subspecialty in paediatric anaesthesia after furthering his training with a paediatric fellowship. Despite his terrible singing voice, he manages to sing many of his young patients to sleep.
Paul has a strong interest in medical education with a particular emphasis in Crisis Management and Error Management.Through his passion for teaching, Paul developed a medical education business, PaperScalpelRock which trains other specialists in the principals of optimising patient care in critical situations. His love of teaching and desire to help others has led him to work in Malawi, East Timor and Guatemala.
He has also worked as a natural history guide on expeditions in both Arctic and Antarctic where the pursuit of wildlife and amazing sunsets were his focus. Now he is in pursuit of his two beautiful children on scooters!
Dr Makarla Stead graduated from the University of Qld Medical School in 1996 and went on to complete her anaesthetic training in Brisbane. After finishing her training in 2005 with an Obstetric Anaesthetic Fellowship year, Makarla commenced as a staff specialist at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
She has worked at the RBWH since 2005, currently as a Senior Staff Specialist and Clinical Lead of the Obstetric Anaesthesia service. Commencing private practice in 2009, she has recently joined the ranks of Northside Anaesthesia and continues a mixture of public and private practice. Areas of interest include obstetrics and upper GI surgery, with a strong focus on teaching of anaesthetic trainees.
Anaesthetist
B.Med. Sci., M.B.B.S. (Hons), FANZCA, Postgrad Dip
Special interests: Perioperative and Critical Care, Echocardiography
Dr Tucker completed her medical degree at The University of Tasmania in 1996. She then went on to specialise in Anaesthesia completing this in 2005 with a Fellowship year in Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia at The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane.
Dr Tucker’s interests include Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia, Medical Perfusion, Transoesophageal and Transthoracic Echocardiography, and Orthopaedic/Vascular and General Anaesthesia
Currently Dr Tucker works only in private practice with Northside Anaesthesia. Previously she worked for many years in public practice at The Prince Charles Hospital.
MBBS(Qld), FANZCA, JP (Qual)
Dr Chris Turnbull graduated from the University of Queensland Medical School in 1999 and worked in varied medical posts around Queensland, New South Wales and the United Kingdom before completing his specialist anaesthetic training (FANZCA) at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in 2013. His FANZCA fellowship year at RBWH was focused on anaesthesia for major burns, which continues to be an immensely challenging and rewarding area of interest.
Chris has since worked at RBWH where he is involved in the training and mentoring of junior doctors whilst providing tertiary anaesthesia services across a broad range of specialties. When not juggling public and private anaesthetic work around Brisbane he enjoys fishing, 4WDing, bushwalking, karate and spending time with his wife and two sons.
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