On the job: New QEH CEO pledges patient-centred, efficient care

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Neil Clark has pledged the hospital will focus on patient-centred care while operating efficiently.

“Every patient matters, every staff member counts, and every day we should do something that would improve the services or situation,” said Clark, whose appointment took effect on Tuesday, at a QEH Town Hall titled New CEO, New Financial Year, New Mission.

In his first speech to senior management and staff, he highlighted the pivotal role of compassion and empathy in healthcare delivery, stressing the importance of aiding individuals who may be tired or frustrated. “When you see those people [patient or staff], help them,” he continued.

The CEO spelt out a vision of key essentials to healthcare excellence, emphasising safety, care, and efficiency.

“When I think about healthcare services, I think that it has to be safe. Everybody expects it to be safe. Everything should be as safe as it possibly can be, it should be caring. These are human beings who need our help, it has to be caring,” he said.

Clark, who holds a Master’s degree in Organisational Development with about 30 years of healthcare planning and senior management experience, stressed the need for an efficient hospital as he warned against wasting doctors’ and patients’ time.

Emphasising the critical role of patient focus in healthcare delivery, he suggested that services align seamlessly with patients’ needs. He also stressed the importance of effective leadership at all levels of the organisation.

“It has to be well-led not just by myself but by the directors, managers, supervisors,” he said. “We have to make sure that we have the right structures and systems in place to allow everybody to contribute.”

The new QEH boss also spoke on the significance of teamwork, highlighting the collective effort required for organisational success.

According to a QEH press release, Clark’s appointment followed a rigorous selection process including a representative sampling of management and staff input into profiling their expectations of a CEO, and psychometric leadership and emotional intelligence tests of a dozen candidates who were shortlisted. It added that Clark has a track record as a results-driven healthcare leader with a focus on patient-centric strategies and outcomes.

(SM)