Midwife struck off for ‘blatant ignorance’, misconduct for going on holiday

A Townsville midwife has been struck off after she was found guilty of misconduct for ‘almost entirely’ failing to ‘fulfil her duties as a midwife’ by going on holiday at a time a birth was expected.

Midwife Linda Ann Peller who had her registration cancelled for misconduct. source: Facebook

A Townsville midwife has been struck off and can’t apply for new registration for a year after she was found guilty of misconduct for “almost entirely” failing “to fulfil her duties as a midwife” by going on holiday during a birth.

In a decision handed down by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal on Friday December 15, Linda Ann Peller’s midwifery registration was cancelled and she was banned from providing any pregnancy-related health service or birth-related health service until she is allowed back into the profession.

Judge John Allen concluded that Ms Peller’s failure to give intrapartum care “demonstrates a blatant ignorance … for the fundamental responsibilities of a midwife”.

Midwife Linda Ann Peller who had her registration cancelled for misconduct. source: Facebook

He ruled that she “almost entirely failed to fulfil her duties as a midwife” in a “lapse in judgment” compounded by her failure to put in place alternative care arrangements while she could not attend a birth while she went on holiday from Townsville to the Gold Coast from September 2 to September 6, 2016.

Judge Allen said this was a particular failure by Ms Peller because the holiday dates were “known well in advance” and she knew the mother was reluctant to give birth in hospital.

Shortly after the birth, on September 3, the newborn was diagnosed with pneumococcal sepsis and was hospitalised for three weeks, while the mother, referred to as patient RB was also treated for an infection related to the birth.

Ms Peller did not attend on the mother and baby until September 6, upon her return from holiday.

Judge Allen said Ms Peller should have physically attended immediately before, during and after the birth of the baby girl.

Ms Peller admitted all seven complaints made against her by the healthcare watchdog, the state’s health ombudsman.

They include that she practised midwifery on a private basis without appropriate professional indemnity insurance between April 2016 and September 2016; that she obtained a restricted drug – Oxytocin – without a valid endorsement; that she failed to provide antenatal care to Patient RB at the standard expected between 31 August 2016 and 3 September 2016; failed to provide clinical care during the intrapartum period to patient RB at the standard expected and failed to provide post-natal care to Patient RB at the standard expected.

She also admitted failing to provide clinical care to the newborn baby of Patient RB at the standard expected and failed to maintain appropriate clinical records at the standard expected.

Ms Peller was an experienced midwife at the time, having been registered as a nurse in 1995, and later as a nurse and midwife in 2010.

“The fact that an experienced practitioner would demonstrate such a lapse of judgment is of great concern,” Judge Allen stated.

Ms Peller told the tribunal regardless of the outcome of the case, she did not intend to be re-registered or practice as a midwife.

He registration has been suspended by the watchdog since September 2016.

“I regret what happened to Patient RB and her baby, I regret the fact that I was not present for the birth of the baby, I regret the fact that they both needed to be hospitalised and the fact that the baby’s health was critical,” Ms Peller wrote in her affidavit quoted in the decision.

“I am extremely remorseful for my actions and contribution which are the subject matter of these proceedings,” she wrote.

“With the benefit of hindsight … I should not have agreed to act as Midwife for Patient RB in relation to the birth of her second child.”