International award for Excellence in Patient Care

Current BGS parent and gastroenterologist Professor Tony Rahman has made improving access to healthcare for rural patients a priority since moving to Queensland from the UK in 2012.

Dr Rahman and his wife Nicola, a nurse and academic, have been active members of the BGS community for several years, supporting the activities of their four sons, Rohan (2018), Omar (2020), Kiyan (Year 12) and Ozair (Year 11). Nicola is a past president of the Art Support Group and current vice president of the P&F Association; both are involved with BGS Sailing and Cricket.

Providing equitable access to healthcare and teamwork have been recurrent themes throughout Dr Rahman’s career.

“City dwellers have huge advantages over people living in rural and remote areas, as doctors and health care workers are easily accessible. It’s much more difficult in the bush,” Dr Rahman said. “Our patients face a range of challenges, from being able to see a GP to financial problems or lack of transport.”

To address these challenges, Dr Rahman’s Team Gastro at Prince Charles Hospital developed an online video platform for rural patients, which has been recognised with The International Excellence in Patient Care Award from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in the UK.

The platform can be accessed by people living outside the city on smartphones, giving them information to help them avoid hospitalisation or outpatient treatment, which is critically important in this COVID-19 environment.

The RCP also commended Team Gastro for nurturing “a close, transparent, warm and welcoming environment encouraging engagement and participation for all staff.”

As Director of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Prince Charles Hospital, Dr Rahman clearly values his colleagues. “Maintaining a happy team is paramount!”

The RCP International Excellence in Patient Care Award 2021 is the latest accolade for Team Gastro, which has also won excellence awards from Queensland Health for patient-centric care, research and innovation.

“We have been involved in pioneering work in novel treatments for Coeliac disease, re-designing remote platforms for treatment of Hepatitis B and C, and best practice treatments for cirrhosis of the liver,” Dr Rahman said.

“We have achieved amazing things because I am fortunate to work with an amazing team. We have increased the provision of endoscopy and colonoscopy with a marked increase in the quality of procedures, making us one of the busiest and most efficient but clinically excellent units in Queensland.”

The BGS community congratulates Dr Rahman on the International Excellence in Patient Care Award 2021, and thanks him for his commitment to the School. His positive approach exemplifies the pursuit of excellence. As he said, “I try my very best to make sure that every encounter I have with a patient or relative is the best I can do. In healthcare we are in the privileged position to be able to see patients at their most vulnerable, and therefore they require us to be at our best.”