Friday 9 January 2009
MAITLAND MISCARRIAGE PROVES STATE LABOR GOVT FAILED TO IMPLEMENT INQUIRY RECOMMENDATIONS
The State Labor Government has failed to implement the recommendations of it’s own inquiry into Jana Horska’s miscarriage, following a near identical incident in Maitland, Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said today.
Recommendation 2a of the inquiry by Prof. Clifford Hughes and Prof. William Walters into Jana Horska’s miscarriage at Royal North Shore Hospital handed down on 26 October 2007 states:
“In relation to the presentation of patients with miscarriage or threatened miscarriage it is recommended that: 2a. New system-wide models of care to be developed as a matter of urgency for all public health facilities in NSW concerning the management, care and treatment of patients presenting with miscarriages or threatened miscarriages.” (p.17)
The State Labor Government pre-empted this recommendation by announcing on 28 September 2007 that women with suspected miscarriage “would be transferred straight to the maternity unit”, be “accorded the dignity and support they need”, and the new model of care would “provide an appropriate level of care for pregnant women presenting to emergency departments in any hospital regardless of where they live”. (Reba Meagher press release 28 Sept 2007)
“The State Labor Government has failed this woman, and has failed to implement it’s own early pregnancy protocol,” Mrs Skinner said.
“This case again highlights the lack of resources given to hospital maternity units across NSW to implement the State Labor Government’s protocol for suspected miscarriages,” she said.
“Concerns were raised at the time about how existing maternity units would cope with the increased workload without extra funding – the answer appears to be that they aren’t coping because the State Labor Government was never serious about implementing their own protocol.
“The public don’t want another inquiry, they just want the State Labor Government to tell them the truth and provide them with proper patient care.
“Instead of pushing out bureaucrats espousing yet more inquiries, the Health Minister should front up and tell families in NSW why he hasn’t implemented the State Labor Government’s own protocol,” Mrs Skinner said.