When Mackay Hospital and Health Board member Associate Professor Luke Lawton talks about safety and quality in healthcare, he doesn't start with policies, reports or performance indicators.
Instead, he describes the moment a clinician and a patient come together.
"Our key business in healthcare is putting a clinician and a patient in the same space and giving them the best chance of the best outcome," he said.
"That's what we do in a nutshell. That's our mission. If we get the clinical care right, the other things follow naturally."
It is this philosophy that has underpinned his work as Chair of the Mackay Hospital and Health Board's Quality and Safety Committee and has now earned him appointment as co-chair of Queensland's Hospital and Health Board Safety and Quality Forum.
The state forum brings together the chairs of safety and quality committees from all 16 Hospital and Health Services to collaborate on improving patient safety, clinical governance and quality across Queensland.
For A/Prof Lawton, the appointment is both an honour and an opportunity to showcase the work being done at Mackay HHS.
"It's the quality of the work our team does in Mackay that inspired me to nominate for the statewide role,” he said.
"I'm happy to stand up in a forum of my peers and say, 'This is what we're doing and this is where I'm from,' because I think our team does an excellent job."
Each of Queensland's Hospital and Health Service Boards is required under legislation to have a Safety and Quality Committee responsible for overseeing clinical governance, monitoring risk and compliance, supporting continuous improvement and fostering a positive safety culture.
His statewide role comes at a significant time, with consultation underway on the next version of Australia's National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards ahead of their planned introduction in 2030.
"It's a huge piece of work to transition from Version 2 to Version 3 of the standards," he said.
"There's a real opportunity for all 16 Hospital and Health Services to collaborate, share ideas and learn from each other rather than everyone trying to solve the same problems independently."
He believes the forum will help identify opportunities to harmonise approaches across the state while still recognising the unique challenges each health service faces.
One of those challenges for the Mackay HHS is the sheer diversity of healthcare being delivered.
"The volume and breadth of work is enormous and clinical care looks very different depending on where you are,” he said.
“What we do at Mackay Base Hospital is different to what happens in Bowen, Sarina or Proserpine. We also provide care for adults and children, emergency and surgical care, public health and everything in between. Every facility has its own context and its own challenges.”
Understanding that context is critical when measuring quality and safety, he said, but he cautions against collecting data simply because it is easy to measure.
"Data for data's sake is just noise," he said.
"The really important things are patient outcomes, staff wellbeing and making sure our clinicians are in the best position to provide great care. Those things are much harder to measure."
While systems, governance and measurement are important, A/Prof Lawton believes culture remains the single biggest contributor to safer healthcare.
"You can't have people who are afraid to speak up," he said.
"Healthcare is complex. None of us gets everything right every time. We want a culture where people feel comfortable saying, 'Here's a problem. Can you help?' rather than worrying they'll get into trouble."
For A/Prof Lawton, serving in governance while continuing to work as a clinician is particularly rewarding because it allows him to bridge frontline experience with strategic decision-making.
"I think it's really important that clinicians step into leadership roles because the people who understand how to improve the system are the people working in it every day,” he said.
"When you have an opportunity to contribute to governance, leadership or strategy, put your hand up.
"Leadership is more than a title. Make time to have a say and make sure what you bring is solutions-focused and productive.
"That's how we make the system better—for our staff and, most importantly, for our patients."