Success is in the details at QEII Hospital’s Specialist Outpatients Department (SOPD), where small changes are making a big impact for patients and staff.
Known for their exemplary collaboration, results-focus and creative team-building activities, SOPD is strengthened by a culture of support, respect and communication.
Behind the multi-coloured Suites is a symbiotic collaborative of doctors, nurses, administrators and volunteers putting people first to support 250-350 outpatient appointments each day.
“The best part of our day is being able to provide an amazing service across 19 different specialties to a large number of patients each day, and that’s thanks to the close relationship we have with the administration team, as well as support from our directors and executive team,” said Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) Audrey Miller.
A shining example of teamwork, Audrey and Administration Coordinator Outpatients Tegan Jones work hand in hand to optimise patient flow at the unit.
“There’s a deep respect for each other and the role that each of us plays, and the acknowledgment that we can’t work in a silo. It has to be collaborative,” said Audrey.
“We’ve had lots of opportunities in the last twelve months to streamline processes, find efficiencies, and really understand how to support our staff, because each clinic runs differently,” added Tegan.
Manager Patient Administration Service Elizabeth Keyte echoed the sentiment.
“Outpatients works so well because we have two dynamic leaders who are invested in their teams, and it’s how those teams work together,” she said.
In just 12 months, the team have celebrated big and small wins across the board, from optimising patient appointments through monthly data reports and monitoring improvements, to celebrating milestones and other special events together.
Through the ups and downs of daily activities, Audrey says it’s the team’s positivity and enthusiasm for supporting a people-centred service that keeps them united.
“We lean on each other’s strengths and have really good buy-in from the whole team. We come into work each day full of enthusiasm and welcome new ideas, by encouraging every single member of the team to look at what we do each day and how it can be improved,” she said.
“We keep a register of all the big and incremental improvements that make a difference day to day. When you walk around the department, there’s a feel-good factor, staff feel well-supported, and we do regular fun activities together like multicultural celebrations and competitions.”
This May, the team took their creativity to a new level when they co-wrote an ode to the flourishing culture at the unit, aptly titled the SOPD Wellbeing Poem. The poem went on to claim the runner-up prize for the 2025 International Nurses Day Wellbeing Award.
Congratulations, team and we thank you for your exemplary collaboration.