Bacchus Marsh hospital told mum to ‘drink Coke’ before son’s death

A FIRST-time mum claims she was told by an outer Melbourne hospital to “drink a Coke or have a Mars Bar” before losing her baby and almost dying herself, Supreme Court documents reveal.

• BACCHUS MARSH BABY TOLL SOARS
• PARENTS BLAST BACCHUS MARSH HOSPITAL OVER BABY’S DEATH
• COUPLE SUE HOSPITAL OVER DEATH OF THEIR BABY
• TWO MORE FAMILIES SUE OVER PREGNANCY MISHANDLING

A HEAVILY pregnant 22-year-old first-time mum in severe distress was told to “drink a Coke or have a Mars Bar and take a hot bath” by Bacchus Marsh Hospital before losing her baby and almost dying herself.

The young mum had already called the hospital in severe pain an hour earlier only to allegedly be told to “take some Panadol and go to bed” as there was no-one at the hospital who could help her.

In the most horrific claim detailed against the hospital since the Herald Sun first revealed the scandal surrounding a cluster of avoidable baby deaths, the mum claims she was in severe pain, vomiting, had diarrhoea and was bleeding when she called for help.

A mum claims she was told to “drink a Coke” by Bacchus Marsh Hospital.

The mum also claims she was told to “have a Mars Bar and take a hot bath” by Bacchus Marsh Hospital. Picture: Supplied

The woman, who asked not to be identified, also alleges she was not told for two days that her baby was stillborn when eventually delivered by emergency caesarean section under general anaesthetic.

In a cruel twist, she claims she learned her son was dead from looking at photographs a midwife faxed to her at the Royal Women’s Hospital, after having first been told her over the phone her infant: “Is gorgeous. We are just about to give him a bath”.

She alleges her mother learned of the death when she picked her grandson up after the birth.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about my son,” the woman told the Herald Sun.

“It’s heartbreaking to think my baby boy would be alive today if the hospital had taken my concerns seriously and given me proper advice.”

“This was my first pregnancy and I had put my trust in the hospital’s doctors and midwives to look after me. When I called in that morning with my concerns, the hospital made me feel like I was worrying about nothing.”

The now 31-year-old says she thought she was going to die after losing so much blood she had to be transferred by ambulance to the Royal Woman’s for emergency care.

The claims are made in a Supreme Court writ seeking damages for the loss of her baby, her physical injuries and psychiatric injury from Djerriwarrh Health Services, which operates the hospital.

Maurice Blackburn senior associate, Shari Liby, said the case highlights the dangers of telephone triage in the obstetric setting.

Ms Liby said her firm had seen a number of cases arising out of telephone triage and that this matter was not the only case of a pregnant woman calling the Bacchus Marsh hospital with concerns and allegedly being told to drink a Coke or eat a Mars Bar instead of being advised to come in.

Bacchus Marsh & Melton Hospital.

“Diagnosing a pregnant woman with gastro over the phone and advising her to drink a Coke or eat a Mars Bar is not the accepted standard of care in Australia,” she said.

“Not only did our client lose her baby, but her own life was put in jeopardy as a result of the delay in getting her to hospital.

“Mums-to-be are advised to call in with concerns, but when they do they are encouraged to wait at home, sometimes until it is too late.”

Ms Liby said the claim was about holding the hospital to account and making sure their client has access to all the care and support she needs in the future.

The mum’s statement of claim alleges that if she had been told to call an ambulance when she first rang the hospital her son would have been born alive.

The writ claims the hospital failed to have clear procedures for asking appropriate questions and providing advice when pregnant woman called for help and failed to have staff adequately trained and experienced in telephone triaging.

It is alleged the hospital also failed to check her transport options or advise her to call an ambulance or attend the hospital for urgent assessment; failed to assess the strength and regularity of her contractions; and failed to inform her or her mother that her baby was dead.

The writ says the young mum suffered loss of a baby; blood clotting and anaemia as a result of acute blood loss; and psychiatric injury as a result of her son’s death due to the hospital’s breach of its duty of care.

She is seeking unspecified damages, including for counselling and medication; loss of earning capacity; care she required following the loss of her baby; and for care she required the following year for herself and her newborn baby daughter.

STATEMENT OF CLAIM: HOW IT ALL HAPPENED

HOME alone, with her partner working night shift, a young woman nearing the end of her first pregnancy called the Bacchus Marsh Hospital in the wee hours seeking help.

The frightened mum-to-be told the person who answered her call that she was suffering abdominal pain, so severe that when asked she rated it at a level of nine out of a possible 10.

A statement of claim lodged with the Supreme Court claims that pain, accompanied with vomiting and diarrhoea, occurred when her placenta detached from the wall of the uterus, causing her to haemorrhage about 3.30am on April 14, 2009.

Shortly before 4am the woman claims she called the hospital only to be told by a staff member: “There is no point coming in to the hospital. It is too early in the morning and there is no one here. Take some Panadol and go to bed.”

About 10 minutes later, unable to sleep, the woman says she began having intermittent contractions.

Her abdominal pain worsened about 5am and her contractions became more intense and persistent. So she again called the hospital, speaking to the same person.

After explaining she was now having difficulty moving the expectant mum alleges she was told she “had gastro” and was asked if the baby was moving.

When she answered she could not feel any movement, she alleges she was told: “Drink a coke or have a Mars bar and take a bath.”

A mum claims she was told to take a bath when calling Bacchus Marsh Hospital in pain. Generic picture.

The woman says she then got into a warm bath and stayed there for about two hours until she discovered she had vaginal bleeding.

She called the hospital a third time about 7am and again spoke to the same staff member.

After saying she was now bleeding she alleges she was told she “should probably drive to the hospital” but was not told there was any urgency or that she should call an ambulance.

Unable to drive due to severe pain, the woman telephoned friends and asked them to ferry her to hospital.

About two minutes before arriving at the hospital about 9am, the woman’s statement of claim alleges she felt her baby kick.

At the hospital she was allegedly found to have a rigid abdomen and severe and constant abdominal pain. No foetal heart beat could be detected at 9.16am, and at 9.30am she claims she was told she would have to wait for a ultrasonographer to arrive.

When she asked for her mother to be called she alleges she was told by nursing staff it would be better to wait “until we know what’s happening” before calling her mum or her partner.

By 10am the woman claims she had been diagnosed with anaemia and the formation of blood clots in her blood vessels due to acute blood loss, and was being treated with intravenous fluids.

An ultrasound carried out at 10.30am is alleged to have found no foetal motion — consistent with death in utero.

The writ says the baby was delivered still born by emergency caesarean at 10.44am, by which time the mother had lost an estimated three litres of blood.

During and immediately after the birth the woman required seven units of blood and blood products.

At the Royal Women’s the woman underwent an operation to remove a clot from her uterus and required at least a further five units of blood products.

She spent six nights in hospital before being deemed well enough to return home.

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