Meet the team

Mr. Taz Singh

Thasvir (Taz) is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon who completed his training in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and holds a Consultant post at Waikato Hospital. 

He grew up in NZ, and was fortunate enough to live in many parts of the country including the Bay of Islands, Palmerston North, Waikato, and Auckland, prior to moving to Dunedin to study. Taz graduated from Dentistry at the University of Otago before working in Middlemore and Greenlane Maxillofacial Units. After completing Medicine at the University of Auckland, he moved to Adelaide where he worked in various surgical disciplines including ENT, Orthopaedics, and Neurosurgery. On accepting entry into the Melbourne OMS Training program he underwent extensive training with a particular focus on Dental implant, Orthognathic, and Maxillofacial Trauma Surgery. During this time, he published numerous research articles and completed a Master’s degree (First Class Honours) focusing on Ameloblastoma tumours, immunohistochemistry, HPV, and PCR. He returned to NZ and completed his Maxillofacial training whilst working at Waikato Hospital, obtaining the ANZAOMS medal for the highest mark in the Final RACDS(OMS) Exams. 

Thereafter he was offered Head and Neck Cancer and Microvascular Reconstruction fellowships at St George's Hospital in London, and the Royal Derby Hospital, which were accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh). 

Currently Taz is working in both private and public practice. He is happy to consult on all oral and maxillofacial problems and surgical options

Mr. Michael Rutledge

I strive to be the best doctor and person I can be. Originally from Perth, WA, I moved to NSW to pursue my medical and dental degrees at the University of Sydney. After working as a dentist and completing my internship and residency in regional NSW, I moved to Auckland, NZ. I completed my Master of Surgery and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery training in NZ. I followed this with a fellowship in Orthognathic and Facial Trauma Surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and a mini-residency in TMJ Surgery. I’m proud to be a Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at Te Whatu Ora – Waikato and I'm privileged to serve the Waikato community, teach medical and dental students, train future surgeons, and pursue clinical research focused on technology. I'm honoured to join OMS Waikato and look forward to collaborating with our colleagues and serving the wider community.

Mr. Chris Singleton

Chris is an Australia and New Zealand trained specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with extensive experience across Australia and New Zealand. Chris grew up on Auckland’s North Shore before completing a Bachelor of Science at the University of Auckland. He then made the move across the Tasman and completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of surgery at Deakin University in Victoria. Chris worked as a junior doctor in a number of Melbourne hospitals gaining exposure to a variety of surgical specialties including vascular surgery, orthopaedic surgery, general surgery, otolaryngology, cardiothoracic surgery, trauma surgery and neurosurgery. During his junior doctor years Chris gained exposure and interest in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery and went on to work as a maxillofacial surgery resident at The Royal Melbourne Hospital the following year to gain further exposure to the field. During this time he completed a post graduate diploma in surgical anatomy from The University of Melbourne. Chris then returned to New Zealand to complete a Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the University of Otago. During his studies Chris was the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships. Chris was accepted into to maxillofacial training programme in Victoria and completed the first 3 years of his training at the major maxillofacial units in Melbourne. He then returned to his roots in Auckland in his final year to finish his surgical training.

 

Following completion of surgical training Chris gained further experience in Head and Neck Oncology and microvascular reconstruction completing two years of fellowship, first at Waikato Hospital under Mr Singh followed by a year at The Royal Brisbane Hospital under A/Prof Martin Batstone and A/Prof Omar Breik.

 

Chris has interest in research and has published multiple papers during his training and is also actively involved in teaching junior doctors and registrars. He holds a public appointment at Waikato Hospital where he works as a Maxillofacial and a Head and Neck ablative and reconstructive surgeon. Chris lives in Hamilton with his wife, 3 children and his dog. 

Dr. Tim Starkie

I have worked as a specialist anaesthetist since 2012.  I originally trained in England but in 2013 moved to Hamilton with my family and since then I have been privileged to call New Zealand home.  Working in both public and private health systems I enjoy a diverse range of clinical practice and strive to give my patients the best care possible.  My non clinical interests lie in quality improvement and training.

Dr. Peter Simmons

Peter is a specialist anaesthetist who has trained in Australia and New Zealand (FANZCA), before settling in the Waikato.

Having grown up in rural New South Wales, Peter relocated to study a Bachelor of Medicine (B.Med) at the University of Newcastle, which included a six month exchange to the University of Oslo, Norway. After rotating through various specialties as a Resident Medical Officer in Orange, NSW, he began his anaesthetic training working in numerous departments throughout NSW, including Westmead and Westmead Children’s Hospital. He then completed fellowships at Royal Perth Hospital and Waikato Hospital.

Currently, Peter provides anaesthesia for a wide range of surgical specialties, in both the public and private hospitals. He enjoys being a part of the OMS Waikato team, which has a patient centric focus and the opportunity to deliver personalised anaesthetic care.