It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our co-founder, Dr Neville Henry AM.

Dr Neville Henry AM is internationally recognised for advancing staff safety in healthcare as the inventor of the world’s first device for single-handed scalpel blade removal. His career spans diverse roles as a medical professional, an entrepreneur, an inventor, and a humanitarian. When Dr Henry co-founded Qlicksmart in 1998 with his good friend, A/Prof Dr Michael Sinnott, he did so with a singular, unwavering mission: making healthcare professional’s lives easier and safer, so that clinicians can focus on patient care. 

His qualifications include an MBBS from the University of Queensland, Master of Public Health from Harvard University; Diploma of Child Health, Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (D.T.M.&H.) from the Royal College of Physicians in London, amongst other academic credentials.

Dr Henry’s innovations related to scalpel blade removal have won many local and international prestigious awards, including the:

• 1997 Best New Product Award – Qlicksmart Scalpel Blade Remover, Presented by Hospital Healthcare
• 1998 Winner Engineering Design, Presented at the Australian Design Awards
• 2000 IFIA Prize – Qlicksmart Scalpel Blade Remover, Presented by International Federation of Inventors Association
• 2000 Development Award – Qlicksmart Scalpel Blade Remover, Presented by AusIndustry
• 2000 Diplôme – Qlicksmart Scalpel Blade Remover, Presented by Salon International Des Inventions Genéve
• 2002 AGPAL Product Award – Qlicksmart Scalpel Blade Remover, Presented by General Practice Accreditation

In 1998, He was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) attributed to his dedication and commitment to healthcare safety and healthcare access through the International Red Cross in a number of countries.

While his accomplishments are many and varied, for us at Qlicksmart, Neville was above all, an incredible mentor, a dear colleague, a father figure, a brilliant mind, and a humble gentleman. A polymath in the truest sense of the word – we will miss Neville’s wise counsel, his worldly knowledge, his clever humour, and his heartwarming kindness.

While we mourn this profound loss to Neville’s family, to his Qlicksmart family, and to the greater community, we are grateful to have worked alongside Neville perfecting the Qlicksmart scalpel blade removers and to witness the ingenuity he has brought to our industry. What a privilege and an honour for all of us to have known and worked with Neville and to be able to carry his legacy forward. We are more committed than ever to continue his pioneering vision.

We kindly ask that you keep Neville’s wife Ro and his family in your thoughts. Thank you for your continued support as we navigate this difficult time.