“I’m quite nostalgic with regard to where we started and where we've been. I always feel we stand on the shoulders of those that have gone before us, and hopefully there's shoulders for the young ones to stand on as they go forward as well.”
These were some of Director of Radiation Therapy Services, Simon McQuitty’s final words as he bid farewell to his Radiation Oncology colleagues at PA’s Raymond Terrace after 45 years of service.
Known as one of Metro South Health’s longest serving and most beloved contemporaries, Simon’s larger-than-life reputation can be traced all the way back to 1978, where he attended his first interview with a panel of eight at the formerly named Queensland Radium Institute and realised his calling.
“It was most fortuitous when I went to look at the X-Ray Department at the RBWH, that I was redirected to the Therapeutic Radiography Department instead. So I went downstairs, had a look through, and interviewed a couple of weeks later. It felt like it was just meant to be, and it turned out to be a great decision,” he said.
Immersing himself in his newfound passion, Simon steadily climbed the ranks in what would become Radiation Therapy, witnessing technological advancements revolutionise the service over the years and set the course for his career to flourish in the new service at Mater Centre (part of the PA Cohort, called ROPART).
“Everything we do is about making things better for our patients, so there’s been 45 years of incremental improvements in how to do that,” he said.
“The technology has gone ahead in leaps and bounds, and you wonder where it’s going to go in the future; but the core of what we do and why we do it has always been the same.”
Eventually, Simon’s natural aptitude for leadership led him to the Directorial role he has proudly occupied for the past 20 years.
“I've loved my work and I feel truly blessed to be able to lead the way. I feel very blessed to have taken this pathway and to have had the opportunities over the years to work as we do with our patients.”
It’s nearly impossible to hear Simon talk about his career without hearing fond reflections on his team’s longevity and supportive culture. Simon takes much pride in these qualities, owing the service’s ongoing success to the team’s collective commitment to patient-centred care.
“I know what’s made my life easier has been the people around me. There aren’t enough words to talk about what everybody has meant to me here. Many of us have been together for 25 years as a senior group, and that’s so rare,” he said.
“All of the things that we do, all the equipment we've got, all of the skills we learn, all go towards providing a better experience for our patients. The group of people we’ve gathered together have done that – with central purpose, support of the whole team, and the environment we have created.”
One of Simon’s key career achievements was leading the introduction of paediatric radiation oncology services to ROPART alongside the opening of the Queensland Children’s Hospital, which he cites as a welcome challenge.
“It was something that most staff had not had great exposure to, and it required a sort of reinvention. We didn’t just want to pick up the way things are done elsewhere. We wanted to start with fresh eyes as to how can we provide the best from the very start,” he said.
“We adapted things that we learned in other local practices and in other parts of the world. We wanted to create the best place for paediatric Radiation Oncology, and to prove to ourselves that we can provide the same excellence in service to paediatrics that we’d been providing to adults.”
As he steps out of the service at Raymond Terrace for the last time, Simon leaves a permanent mark on radiation services throughout Queensland, and a legacy of friendship, teamwork, and enduring passion for people as testified by those he worked with for so long.
“You've been magnificent to work with. You've provided the care and the empathy that's needed to run a service here. You're open to new ideas and being an advocate for the development of radiation services,” said Director ROPART, Dr Andrew Pullar.
“You've been a prime example in trying to help us as we've developed through the years and taken on new services, and you've always been willing to give your pieces of wisdom and approach things in a very calm, level-headed approach but then also having that relaxed environment as well.”
Recounting years of beautiful interactions, decades of in-jokes, and countless examples of superior leadership, former Nurse Unit Manager of ROPART, Pauline Rose tearily summarised it best saying, “Simon is an honest, funny, spiritual and gentle soul, and I thank you for being my colleague.”
Thank you, Simon, for your 45 years of dedication to health and our PA community.