Death of five babies at Caboolture Hospital among 18 fatalities investigated

The deaths of five babies – including one who suffered asphyxia – are among 18 fatalities investigated at a Queensland hospital.

The deaths of five babies – including one who suffered asphyxia and another whose mother had a delayed pregnancy complication diagnosis – are among 18 fatalities investigated at a Queensland hospital.

The incidents at Caboolture Hospital between January 1, 2020, and August 4, 2022, have been revealed in new documents released under Right to Information to the state opposition.

All 18 cases were given a Severity Assessment Code 1 (SAC1), which triggers a detailed review when healthcare has resulted in “unanticipated serious harm or an unexpected death”.

Among the cases were five neonatal deaths, including one incident where there was a delay in recognising that a mother had pre-eclampsia.

In another case last year, there was an “unexpected neonatal complication” that involved a“birth asphyxia”.

Eighteen fatalities at Caboolture Hospital have triggered investigations in the past two years.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said she had been advised that none of the SAC1 obstetric incidents referred to in the RTI were due to malpractice by hospital staff or any “blameworthy acts”.

“Deaths of any kind in a hospital environment are tragic but all Queenslanders understand that it unfortunately happens,” the minister said.

“A Severity Assessment Code (SAC1) is a normal and important process that initiates a detailed review when health care results in unanticipated serious harm or an unexpected death.

“The review assesses whether there were any avoidable contributors to the outcome and whether any improvements in care delivery can be identified.”

A Queensland Health spokesman confirmed that in November 2021, Metro North Health commissioned an external independent senior medical officer to conduct a “confidential Part 6 clinical review into obstetrics and gynaecology related cases”.

The spokesman would not say if the review related to any of the neonatal deaths referred to in the RTI documents, but confirmed the review had been completed.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli seized on the revelations in the RTI documents as he accused the state government of refusing to be upfront – saying the LNP had been asking questions for more than a year.

“Queenslanders deserve to know what is happening inside Caboolture Hospital and that’s why the opposition was in the pursuit of the truth,” the LNP leader said.

The RTI document says the data includes “deaths that were not reasonably expected as an outcome of health care prior to an analysis being undertaken”. The document also says that the deaths referred to in the document could be a result of an underlying health condition.