MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, Qld, 1994)

FANZCA (Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, 2004)

Dr Nick Hughes is a Specialist Anaesthetist who completed his intern and resident years in Cairns Base Hospital, Queensland. He then based himself in Edinburgh, Scotland, working and travelling in the UK for a couple of years before returning to Australia with the goal of pursuing a career in Anaesthetics.

Nick completed a non-training year at Rockhampton Base Hospital on his return to Australia – a hugely rewarding and positive experience which opened the door to a training position at The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH). He divided his Anaesthetic training between RBWH and The Townsville Hospital, returning to Far North Queensland where his career began.

After completing his Anaesthetic Training in 2004 and beginning a family with his wife Raylea, they decided to move back to South-East Queensland. After working at the Nambour General Hospital for several years – well before the Sunshine Coast University had been built – Nick branched out into private practice, joining Sunshine Coast Anaesthetic Group and the rest is history!

Nick currently works regularly at the Buderim Private, Caloundra Private, Kawana Private, Selangor Private, and Sunshine Coast University Private Hospitals, as well as at the Sunshine Coast Day Surgery. His anaesthetic practice has a broad skill mix, covering most sub-specialties. Importantly, as Nick has been on the Sunshine Coast for many years, he has a strong relationship with all the surgeons he regularly works with.

Nick and his wife Raylea love living on the Sunshine Coast. They have three lovely children (now adults) who have all chosen careers in the medical industry (Raylea is also a GP). Nick loves being outdoors – he’s a terrible surfer and fisherman and equally bad snow skier. He dabbles in painting and took up guitar at the age of 50. He and his eldest daughter are avid indoor climbers (bouldering mainly) which he will continue to do until his body says “stop”.