Tim Nicholls has finally announced a review of the troubled maternity unit but advocates warn it had better not be another tick-box exercise.
Queensland’s minister for health Tim Nicholls has finally bowed to pressure and called for an independent review into Toowoomba Hospital’s maternity unit.
The Independent Assurance Review panel will include a clinician, maternity consumer representative and a medico-legal expert.
According to a spokesperson for Mr Nicholls, the panel will delve as far back as 2018.
“The panel will examine matters that were first raised about the Toowoomba Hospital Maternity Unit dating back to 2018, as well as review complaints made by mums and families in regard to maternity services at Toowoomba Hospital,” the spokesperson told Health Services Daily.
However maternity consumer advocate Alecia Staines, from the Maternal Consumer Network, warned the review needed to be more than just another tick-box exercise.
“There needs to be meaningful change,” she said.
“There are no details. What are the terms of reference? How are these people recruited? Who are they? All these details need to be confirmed before I go popping the champagne.”
Ms Staines said for the review to be meaningful, it needed to include all levels of management.
“You aren’t going to get to the root of the problem if you don’t include the executive. Dismissing women’s complaints is not a virtue of good leadership,” she said.
There have already been several reviews and reports into maternity services at the hospital including two ongoing clinical investigations and a culture review that was conducted last year with results yet to be released.
A series of birth horror stories have been reported recently, including a baby who died after a placental abruption, another left with brain damage, reports of security being called on a woman who said she was in labour, a newborn’s ear that was cut during a caesarean and a woman’s bladder sliced during a c-section.
Last week, a woman reported that her support person was unnecessarily detained by security during her birth.
Darling Downs Health CEO Annette Scott told Health Services Daily last week that the hospital has recently introduced a Midwife Guide role to help improve experiences of patients.
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“The Midwife Guide role has been created to complement the existing processes because we have listened to women in our community and hear that they want someone to talk to,” said Ms Scott.
“Karen McDonald Smith is an experienced midwife who can listen, provide guidance and help with feedback pathways.”
The Queensland opposition spokesperson for women, Shannon Fentiman, the former health minister, had been calling for an independent investigation into the maternity unit at Toowoomba Hospital. Last week she spoke to scores of women who complained about their birthing experience at the hospital.
“There are clearly deep-seated issues, and the only way to get to the bottom of that is to bring in independent clinicians to really review what is happening and make positive change for the future,” she said.
The Assurance Review will have three months to investigate and to report back to the Director-General.
“They will review the work and improvements undertaken by Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service to date. Importantly, the panel will engage with patients to enable the voices of mothers and their families are heard and to ensure Toowoomba Hospital has in place accessible and appropriate processes for patient complaints,” the Health ministry spokesperson said.