Health Minister Yvette D’Ath holds forum with women traumatised by Mackay Base Hospital care
Traumatised women, invited to a “special forum” with Queensland’s Health Minister over their treatment at Mackay hospital, say they’re still in the dark after the behind-closed-doors meeting and want action.
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With tears in her eyes, Denise Roberts said she did not get to ask burning questions of Yvette D’Ath at a forum designed for traumatised women like her.
She wasn’t alone.
Women who suffered substandard clinical care at the hospital had been invited to a “special forum” with Queensland’s health minister.
Mrs Roberts, whose bladder was cut open during a surgery in August 2021, attended the meeting, which was not open to the media, but told this publication afterwards, she did not get a chance to speak to the Minister.
“I did not get to talk to her,” she said.
“I wanted to ask her three questions.
“We did not get a chance to ask her questions.”
Had she been given that chance, Mrs Roberts would have asked about the policies and procedures put in place to change what she described as a “toxic culture” at the hospital.
She wanted to know why her surgeon, Dr George Du Toit, was still permitted to practise medicine despite being the subject of complaints and why the Minister had not stepped down from her position.
Dr Du Toit resigned from Mackay Hospital in March after being suspended last year and in July he was banned by the Qld Health Ombudsman from practising surgery or being involved in providing care to women during labour and immediately after they have given birth.
There are conditions that he “must not” be the most senior person rostered on any shift when practising as a registered health practitioner".
The conditions will be in place until either the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal sets them aside or the Health Ombudsman removes them.
He is one of five clinicians who have resigned or been let go by Queensland Health due to the investigation.
“I think in good conscience she (the Minister) should step down because all this has happened under her watch,” she said.
“The buck stops at the top and she should take some responsibility”.
Mrs Roberts said she did not know what to do.
“I am really traumatised,” she said.
“I do not trust the medical profession anymore.”
Chloe Gaudion said a lot of women at the meeting had left with unanswered questions.
“I do not feel like a lot was resolved,” she said.
“It was not really a question-and-answer session like we thought it was going to be.”
Melissa Ferrier said the meeting was infused with raw anger, including from husbands whose wives had suffered.
“There was a lot of emotion, a lot of anger, and a lot of angst in there,” she said.
“I think that truly shocked the staff that were in there.
“They weren’t expecting that.”
Ms D’Ath’s was approached for comment about the women’s claims.
A spokesman for her office declined to respond on Tuesday night.
However, speaking to reporters immediately after the meeting, she acknowledged the trauma expressed.
“This forum was about explaining the findings of the investigation report, to personally apologise to these women and to hear from them what they think we can be doing better,” she said, adding there were avenues for more follow-up questions.
“Every woman has been advised that they shouldn’t leave today without contact details, who to contact, so if they have further questions,” she said.
“Some of the women today have asked for how do they access their medical records. “Some have not entered into a pathway at all as yet and so what is available to them.
“We want to make sure that no-one left without knowing who is that point of contact at the hospital and how they work through this.”
An independent report into the hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology department, released last month, exposed shocking examples of alleged substandard care provided to more than 20 women.
122 recommendations were made, 47 have already been implemented, the rest accepted in full or in principle by the government.
In another example, the report notes 21 cases of hollow viscus injuries (blunt force injury to the gastrointestinal system) during obstetrics and gynaecology surgery at the hospital in just over a year, where the expected number of cases should be between zero and one.
Since the release of the report on September 30, more women have come forward with troubling stories of potentially substandard care who were not aware of the investigation or contacted about the report.
Ms D’Ath maintained after the forum she would make sure all women who may have been affected by substandard care would receive attention.
“We want to make sure that women are not slipping through the cracks,” she said.
“That any women who have incurred harm, whether psychological or physical, at this hospital as a consequence of actions of individual health professionals, we want to make sure they are aware of how to contact the hospital and what support is available to them.
“Whether it is clinical support, further treatment that is needed or compensation pathways.
Ms D’Ath also said she received more confirmation of problems at the meeting and added Mackay Hospital and Health Service would work to identify other women who might have been harmed.
“It is pretty clear from what I have heard and the women I have met over the last couple of weeks that there are still women out there who were not aware of the hotline and who are not aware of the pathway and what has been happening,” she said.
“That is certainly a message we have gotten again today.”
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