Surgical and Perioperative Innovation Collaborative – Australasia
- Conference on 5 and 6 March 2026 – Brisbane City Hall
- National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) collaborative on 4 March 2026 – Herston
On behalf of the Clinical Organising Committee and your conference hosts, we are delighted to invite you to the rescheduled Surgical and Perioperative Innovation Collaborative – Australasia (SPICA 2026).
Thank you for your patience as we recovered from the unexpected weather events of 2025, put on some great virtual events, and now we are ready to reconvene for a bigger and better collaborative.
The event focus is in the name – innovation and collaboration.
This conference aims to create a cooperative space where clinicians, administrators and researchers from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand can bridge the gap between quality assurance and quality improvement. It will also develop action-oriented outcomes through interactive learning and exchange in the surgical and perioperative space.
You will have the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with various local and international speakers from around the world and enhance your expertise in the latest improvement-science methodologies.
The program features an interactive mix of plenaries, workshops, panels and breakout sessions designed for collaborative learning and exchange.
The conference is being jointly hosted by Queensland Health, The Australia and New Zealand Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), and Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS).
The membership of the Clinical Organising Committee for the conference is:
- Prof. Chris Pyke (Convenor chair, QLD)
- Prof. Arthur Richardson (NSW)
- Dr Bhavesh Patel (QLD)
- Dr Sanjeev Naidu (QLD)
- Prof. Sean McManus (QLD)
- Dr Stuart Bade (QLD)
Speakers and representatives
International and Australian surgical representatives will be presenting and leading discussions at the conference.
Keynote speakers
Learn about the keynote speakers for SPICA 2026.
Dr Clifford Ko
Dr Clifford Ko is the Director of the American College of Surgeons Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, overseeing the college’s quality improvement programs, including the NSQIP.
His work focuses on surgical quality of care, including quality measurement, process improvement, value-based care and achieving high reliability in surgical care.
Dr Ko has served in advisory roles for national and international efforts dedicated to achieving higher quality and safety, including the World Health Organization, Institute of Medicine, National Quality Forum, and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
Dr. Ko is a double board-certified surgeon with a practice currently focusing on patients with colorectal cancer at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he is the Robert and Kelly Day Professor of Surgery. He also is a professor of health services at the UCLA School of Public Health.
Professor Tim Briggs CBE
Professor Tim Briggs CBE is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon and was appointed National Director for Clinical Improvement and Elective Recovery for National Health Service (NHS) England in November 2022.
He is chair of the Get It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme and leads the roll out of GIRFT methodology across all surgical and medical specialties.
He is also chair and national lead of the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) and Honorary Colonel of 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital RAMC.
Professor Briggs was appointed to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) as a consultant in 1992. His specialist interests are in orthopaedic oncology and surgery to the hip and knee.
He was medical director at the RNOH for 15 years and was president of the British Orthopaedic Association in 2014.
Professor Briggs has been invited to engage on how the NHS is using data to drive quality improvement, joined by the Queensland GIRFT Clinical Lead, Dr Michael Thomas (Gold Coast University Hospital).
Alaina Matthews BSN RN
Alaina Matthews, BSN, RN is the Clinical Support Manager for the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP).
Since joining ACS in 2018, she has supported hospitals in using clinical registry data to drive meaningful surgical quality improvement.
Her work focuses on program operations, education and the development of tools and resources that promote high-quality data, consistent measurement and sustainable improvement initiatives across diverse healthcare systems.
She also brings extensive clinical experience in adult and pediatric critical care, with specialized expertise in ECMO, from leading US academic hospitals.
Chief surgical representatives
A panel of surgical representatives from across Australia and New Zealand will present and discuss local initiatives and opportunities for interjurisdictional collaboration. Attendance to date includes these representatives.
Doctor Cath McDougall
(Queensland)
Professor Ben Thomson
(Victoria)
Doctor Kristin Bell
(Tasmania)
Professor Neil Merrett
(New South Wales)
Professor Carolyn Hullick
(ACSQHC)
Doctor Matthew Clark
(New Zealand)
Program summary
The program will feature an interactive mix of plenaries, workshops, panels and breakout sessions designed for collaborative learning and exchange, with a focus on the journey from quality assurance to quality improvement.
The program mirrors the key elements from the rescheduled 2025 meeting, and will be published here when finalised.
Optional and related events
- Breakfast masterclass – Commencing the health researcher journey
- National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Collaborative meeting
Conference registration
All 2025 registrations (unless previously cancelled) carry over to the 2026 event.
The venue holds a maximum of 200 guests so ticket numbers are capped – as such we are not reopening general ticket sales. If you would like to be added to the waiting list for tickets, please email spica@health.qld.gov.au.
As an in-person collaborative event, online attendance is unfortunately not being offered, but sessions will be recorded.
Getting to the conference
These are the SPICA locations:
- Conference venue – Ithaca Auditorium, Level 3, Ann Street entrance, Brisbane City Hall, Brisbane
- Reception venue – Hamilton Lounge, Ground Floor, Adelaide Street entrance, Brisbane City Hall, Brisbane
Accommodation
The conference venue is centrally located, with multiple accommodation options within walking distance – either in the city or across the river at South Bank.
There are no accommodation partners for this conference. You are encouraged to use a booking website or your travel agent for what suits you.
Transport links
The venue is on top of the underground King George Square bus station – the majority of city buses pass through this station or on nearby streets.
Central train station, with AirTrain links to Brisbane domestic and international airport, is approximately 500m from the venue.
A taxi rank is located across Ann Street on Roma Street, adjacent to the Pullman Mercure Brisbane King George Square hotel.
Contact us
Email us at spica@health.qld.gov.au if you have any questions.
