The Queensland Premier has ordered an investigation into how a heart surgeon, previously sanctioned by New South Wales medical regulators, was hired for a high-level safety role at Clinical Excellence Queensland.

Deputy Director General Dr. Helen Brown recently named Dr. Michael Byrom as the first surgical medical lead. In this position, he is expected to oversee a new Surgical Quality Assurance Committee designed to find and fix systemic issues that lead to preventable injuries or deaths during surgery.

In 2020, however, the Medical Council of NSW placed strict limits on Dr. Byrom’s medical license following an investigation into clinical errors at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. These conditions restricted him to performing only simple procedures, temporarily banned him from supervising students, and required him to undergo retraining under supervision. While Dr. Byrom denied the original allegations, he agreed to the board's conditions at the time.

Queensland Health defended the move, stating that Dr. Byrom was hired through a rigorous recruitment process and that he currently holds a full medical license with no restrictions. Despite this, Premier David Crisafulli said he has instructed the health minister to uncover exactly how the appointment happened. Dr. Marie Bismark, a medical law expert, added that the public deserves a clear explanation of what has changed since 2020 and why officials believe he is the right fit for a safety oversight role.