Simon Richards MBChB, MMedSc, FRACS

Dr Simon Richards is a General and Colorectal Surgeon based in Southland, New Zealand. He completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at Otago University, Dunedin, and has a Masters degree in Medical Science which focused on frailty and perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery.

Simon became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2017 and completed his colorectal sub-specialty training in Australia in 2021. He enjoys working as a general and colorectal surgeon in Christchurch and teaching both with the University of Otago and the University of Auckland. He is passionate about working with other specialists and allied health staff to collaborate and improve patient care and experiences. With advances in the treatment of colorectal cancer, a wide variety of specialists in a multidisciplinary team are involved in guiding patients through their cancer journey. In this presentation, Simon hopes to outline some of the core concepts of colorectal cancer, how it is diagnosed and treated, and how as pharmacists you can be involved in improving the patient journey.