Queensland mum to sue Mackay Hospital and Health Service after caesarean section goes wrong

A Queensland mother says she will launch legal action against one of the state’s health services after “disastrous mistakes” left her with a horror infection and crippling pain that affects her daily nearly three years and 17 surgeries later.

A young Queensland woman is planning to sue Mackay Hospital and Health Service after her caesarean section went horribly wrong, leaving her with crippling pain and unable to be a “proper mummy”.

Nearly three years and 17 surgeries after the birth of her first child, Elyse Chiles wants Queensland Health to “be held accountable for its disastrous mistakes”.

Ms Chiles, 26, said a series of bungles had rendered her unable to lift Hallie, now 2, or do mother-daughter activities like playing in the park.

“I’ve been told I’m lucky to be alive, but my experience was petrifying and my life has been flipped on its head,” said the former bank employee, whose constant pain has made working impossible.

Elyse Chiles and daughter Hallie at Proserpine Hospital.

Ms Chiles’s ordeal began on November 12, 2018, when Hallie required an emergency delivery in Proserpine Hospital.

Her lawyer Chloe Heterick, of Shine Lawyers, said what happened next was “a horrific case of one bad thing after another”, with Ms Chiles developing chronic sepsis and requiring further treatment at Mackay Base Hospital and Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Ms Heterick said they would be filing a claim for damages in the Supreme Court in November.

It comes as Mackay Hospital and Health Service chief executive Lisa Davies Jones confirmed last week Mackay Base Hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology department was the subject of an independent review after a raft of more recent patient complaints.

Mackay Hospital and Health Service chief executive Lisa Davies Jones.

Ms Heterick said there were two “distinct failures” by Queensland Health in relation to Ms Chiles.

“The first was the failure to provide prophylactic antibiotics before the C-section, which we say led to a nasty infection,” she said.

“Following the surgery, Elyse and Hallie were transferred to Mackay Base Hospital for monitoring but at no point was Elyse’s post-surgical wound checked.

“Elyse was discharged but later presented to the emergency department at Proserpine with an elevated heart rate, high temperature, and dizziness.

“Her wound burst open and the smell of the discharge was disgusting.”

Elyse Chiles and daughter Hallie.

Ms Heterick said the second act of alleged negligence was when Ms Chiles was sent back to Mackay Hospital for exploratory surgery to see what had gone wrong.

“The surgeons discovered the infection had spread to part of her muscle tissue, which was dying.

“During the operation, they accidentally nicked her bladder but realised their mistake and stitched it back up.

“However, they unwittingly stitched her bladder to her left ureter. Elyse couldn’t urinate afterwards as a result and experienced terrible pain.

“She was flown to the PA in Brisbane where the obstruction was revealed in a CT scan.”

Elyse Chiles says she can’t even lift her little daughter Hallie.

Ms Chiles said doctors at the PA told her they couldn’t operate anymore because her body had been “touch too many times”.

“They said, everything is like tissue paper in there, if we touch it it will fall apart.

“They couldn’t unstitch my ureter so they cut it and put a new hole in my kidney and had to re-plumb my whole system.

“I am still in constant pain in my stomach and back from bits and pieces they’ve taken out and everyday chores are a struggle.”

Ms Chiles said the financial implications had also been devastating.

Her partner of seven years Tyrone Lee-Burgess had temporarily given up his job in security to care for her and their infant and they were living rent-free on a relative’s property 20km south of Proserpine.

“We were so excited to start a family but it has been an absolute nightmare,” she said.

The Mackay HHS said it was unable to comment on individual patient experiences but encouraged anyone with concerns about their obstetrics or gynaecology surgical care to call our dedicated phone line on 4885 6244 Monday to Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm.