Patient Safety Centre Executive Team

Dr John Wakefield
Senior Director
Patient Safety Centre

MB CHB FRACGP FACRRM FRACMA

John is an international medical graduate from the United Kingdom and has worked in private and public roles in Queensland since 1989. With over 20 years experience in clinical and management roles in rural, regional and tertiary public sectors, John has a broad understanding of the challenges of delivering healthcare services in a large decentralised state (seven times the size of Great Britain). 
 

In early 2002, he was part of a team that instituted a patient safety system at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and in 2004, completed a Fellowship under Dr Jim Bagian, at the National Centre for Patient Safety of the VA Health System in the United States. 

On returning to Queensland, he set up the Queensland Health Patient Safety Centre in 2005 with the aim of working with clinicians and managers to lead patient safety improvement across Queensland Health.  The program of work includes a state-wide clinical incident management system, major safety improvement initiatives addressing high risk issues and development of a legislative framework for Root Cause Analysis which was passed by the Queensland parliament in April 2007. 

He chaired the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care National Open Disclosure Pilot Steering Committee and is actively involved in teaching Open Disclosure and other patient safety curricula.  He is currently engaged in research into factors that influence safety behaviours in clinicians and managers.

Ms Sandy Blake
Nursing Director
Patient Safety Centre

Qualifications:

Registered General and Maternity Nurse. 
Diploma in Spinal Injuries (CHCHNZ), 1976

Area of Expertise:
Sandy has a diverse background in nursing from working clinically as a Nurse Unit Manager for eight years then as a Assistant Director of Nursing for Surgery and Mental Health in a large Teritary Hospital.

Sandy is now the Nursing Director of Patient Safety Centre and reports professionally to the Chief Nursing Officer.  Sandy leads the District Support Team within the Patient Safety Centre to support the Districts in the implementation of Clinical Incident Implementation Standard (CIMIS).  As well as maintaining a professional responsibility for supporting nurse education in patient safety. 

Click here to go to recent published journal articles

Qualifications:      MB, BS (Hons), FRACGP, GC App L, MHA, FRACMA

Relevant Experience:          

• General Practice and Emergency Medicine
• Senior staff member for Medical Board of Queensland
• Senior Medical Advisor, Medicare Australia
• Director of Medical Services Caboolture Hospital

Current Appointments:

• Chair of the Clinician Performance Support Service Committee
• Member Open Disclosure Advisory Panel, Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Healthcare
• Member  Patient At risk Advisory Committee, Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Healthcare
• Member NT and Qld Advisory Committee, Australian Council on Healthcare Standards
• Member Medical Advisory Panel, Queensland Health
• Member Credentialing and Scope of Practice Committee, Division of the Chief Health Officer, Queensland Health