Senior Queensland plastic surgeon moves to Greenslopes
New role focuses on wellbeing of medical workforce
greenslopesprivate.com.au | 9
A highly respected
plastic, reconstructive
and cosmetic surgeon
has relocated his
consulting rooms to the
newly opened suites
at Greenslopes Private
Hospital.
Dr Paul Belt has been consulting in
Fortitude Valley for 14 years, but decided
to make the move at the start of 2019.
“I have been operating at Greenslopes
Private Hospital since 2005 and have
always liked the idea of being co-located
for patient convenience,” Dr Belt said.
“This relocation will benefit patients who
will have access to a 24 hour on-site
pharmacy, radiology and other
medical services.”
Dr Belt performs approximately
100 proceedures per month and
offers aesthetic and cosmetic plastic
surgery, skin malignancy surgery and
reconstructive plastic sugery.
His new specialist rooms are located on
the hospital campus in the Nicholson
Street Specialist Centre.
The fit-out includes high quality digital
photography services, 3-D modelling for
breast, body and facial procedures, as
well as a minor procedure facility.
“The advantages of having been
in practice for 14 years are that I’ve
designed my rooms exactly how I want
them, because I know exactly what my
practice, my patients and I need,” Dr Belt
said.
Dr Belt is also the College Supervisor
of training for plastic surgery at
Greenslopes Private Hospital and
the re-location will provide additional
convenience for supervision and
teaching of training registrars.
Greenslopes Private Hospital has created
a new position to focus on the wellbeing
of medical staff.
The new role - Registrar of Medical
Education and Junior Medical Officer
Wellbeing - is aligned with Ramsay
Health Care’s philosophy of ‘people
caring for people’ and enabling the
medical workforce to provide the best
patient care.
Dr Simon Menelaws, who has been
appointed to the position, said the role
had two components.
“The first is overseeing the medical
education we provide here for our interns
all the way through to our senior staff,” Dr
Menelaws said.
“It’s about ensuring they’re learning what
they need to be learning and engaging
with those who supervise them.”
The second part of the role is still
evolving but is focused on better
supporting the health and wellness of
Greenslopes Private Hospital doctors
through their training years and beyond
by shining a spotlight on issues of mental
health, such as depression and burnout,
which can impact doctors at all stages of
their careers.
Dr Menelaws, who was previously
working as a psychiatry registrar, said it
was an area of particular interest to him.
“Doctors will inherently always have a
stressful job, but it’s about identifying
what wellbeing looks like for them and
cultivating that environment,” he said.
“There continues to be a stigma in the
industry about mental illness that makes
it difficult for healthcare professionals to
access services.
32 medical interns have joined Greenslopes Private
Hospital as part of the next stage of their medical careers.
The newly graduated doctors will
undertake their intership year at the
Brisbane facility, which is a significant
contributor to medical training in the
private sector.
The interns will also gain exposure to rural
medical practice by undertaking some of
their training in partnership with regional
and rural hospitals.
Dr Mellissa Naidoo, Director of Medical
Services, said Greenslopes’ long-standing
and established reputation in education
and training had attracted intern
applications from across Australia.
“Our final cohort consists of graduates
from universities in Queensland, Victoria,
New South Wales and South Australia.
As the only private hosptial with a fullyfledged
clinical school, several of our
interns had previously undertaken some
of their medical student placements at
Greenslopes Private Hospital and were
excited to return as doctors.”
The new interns are joined by more
than 80 resident medical officers and
registrars in both basic and advanced
vocational training.
Greenslopes welcomes 32 interns
“But as far as I’m aware there’s nothing
to suggest it stops someone from being
a good doctor if they have access to
appropriate care and support.”
Dr Menelaws said his first focus was on
looking at what Greenslopes Private
Hospital did well and then finding
opportunities to demonstrate its
innovation and leadership in this area
both locally and across Australia.
“It’s a nationally and internationally
recognised problem that we’re trying to
break down,” he said.
“Ultimately we’d like to increase research
to demonstrate effective interventions
for doctors, who have been shown to
sustain very high levels of psychological
stress.”