I completed my medical degree at the esteemed Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry in East London in 2006. It was during my penultimate year of medical school that a single event decided my future as an orthopaedic doctor – the July 7th 2005 London terror attacks. The aftermath and my involvement in the recovery of the victims of the attacks, even as a student, cemented in my mind the power of orthopaedic surgery to improve or restore quality of life.
I always believed in taking the road less travelled, even during my orthopaedic training, which included a hospital stint in semi-rural Australia (loved the weather there!). After this, I returned to the UK to complete my specialty and subspecialty training in London, and proudly achieved my Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
From here, I added to my diverse clinical experience in the management of hand and wrist conditions by working in London, Sydney, and Toronto, before taking the plunge and finally beginning my consultant practice in Central Queensland.
As an orthopaedic hand and wrist surgeon, I have the training to confidently manage all conditions affecting the bones, tendons, ligaments, and nerves affecting the hand and wrist area. I am especially interested in caring for patients with:
A surgeon’s typical mentality is to see a problem and fix it. That’s what I love to do – fix things. But it’s not fixing just for the sake of making something less broken. Attached to every arthritic thumb, fractured wrist, or pinched nerve from carpal tunnel syndrome is a real human whose daily function, comfort, and quality of life has been affected by this condition, accident, or trauma.
The most rewarding part of my job is having the opportunity to play a role in improving someone’s quality of life in a meaningful way by restoring function and reducing pain. The sunshine here in Queensland is great, too.
In addition to my clinical work in both public and private practice, I am a strong advocate for cultural change in healthcare. I believe that the right training, support, and mentorship of other up-and-coming clinicians can only have a positive effect on patient outcomes. If we improve the wellbeing of our clinicians, we improve patient care, too.
I also have a passion for medical and surgical education, and am heavily involved in research focused on this field; in fact, my PhD was on operative competency in orthopaedics, where I explored how we judge when and if someone has developed the skills to be a professional, technically safe, and insightful surgeon. I have also had the honour of being an invited keynote speaker at numerous conferences both locally and abroad, speaking on topics such as clinician burnout, workforce sustainability, professionalism, training culture, diversity and inclusion, and education in healthcare.
My other involvements include:
I am a family man, with a wife and two young children. As much as my work allows, I spend as much time with them as possible. I am an avid cook and general foodie. When not cooking for family and friends at home, I’m planning my next travel adventure – so that I can eat great food, surrounded by great people, in new and exciting places.
I also try to stay as active as possible, so I can offset the aforementioned foodie adventures.
Dr Simon Fleming is an internationally trained orthopaedic surgeon with over a decade of experience in managing complex orthopaedic conditions of the hand and wrist. He specialises in challenging reconstructions and the management of fractures and sports-related injuries, as well as common conditions, such as nerve compression or arthritis, with a commitment for improving his patients’ function so they can return to doing the things they love.
Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS)
A keynote speaker at over 200 international conferences
Thought leader for positive cultural shift in healthcare
Involved in training junior doctors with a PhD in medical education
If you have a hand or wrist condition that’s causing pain or interfering with your function or quality of life, request your appointment with Dr Fleming now. Providing comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and both surgical and non-surgical treatments, with Dr Simon Fleming, you’re in good hands.
