Midwife with hepatitis B still working at hospital amid exposure fears

A midwife at the centre of a potential hepatitis B outbreak at a major Sydney hospital where up to 400 mothers and children could have been exposed is still working at the facility.

Hundreds of women who were treated at Nepean Hospital have been warned to get tested.

A midwife at the centre of a potential hepatitis B outbreak, which may have exposed hundreds of mothers and children to the virus at a Sydney hospital, is still working at the facility.

Dozens of mothers who gave birth at Nepean Hospital between 2013 and 2024 have taken up the free testing for the virus, after NSW Health began contacting them this week to inform them of the potential transmission risk.

Women who had an episiotomy, repair to an episiotomy or application of foetal scalp electrodes in the hospital’s birth unit during those 11 years have been identified as coming into contact with the infectious midwife.

NSW Health said it had made contact with 223 women and 143 children by phone or letter to inform them they may have been treated by a staff member who was potentially hepatitis B positive at the time.

A spokesman for NSW Health said the hospital was carrying out an internal investigation to determine whether the staff member was positive without knowing, and the circumstances surrounding it.

Nepean Hospital is currently carrying out an internal investigation.

It is understood that if there has been any professional misconduct, the midwife could be referred to the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission.

NSW Police said it was not a matter for them, and any potential misconduct would be dealt with by the commission.

NSW Health said the midwife was still working at the hospital but had been moved into a role that posed no ongoing risk to patients.

“Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District has worked with the healthcare worker to remove any further risk of transmission to patients,” the hospital said in a statement.

A colleague of the midwife told The Daily Telegraph the hospital’s handling of the potential virus exposure had been “less than ideal”.

“We heard about it from some of the mums who got told ... and we had to go and ask (what) it meant for us,” one staff member said.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection which affects the liver. It can be transmitted during birth, during sexual activity or through blood-to-blood contact.

Mother Lilly Jersek, who was potentially exposed to the virus along with her eight-year-old son, said she and her child now faced an anxious wait to see if they were exposed.

“I received a phone call yesterday... I was so angry at the hospital to keep this dangerous situation for almost eight years,” Ms Jersek said.

“Now I have to get my son tested and myself. I’m so emotional and angry at the hospital.”

A hotline set up for concerned patients to call for information was inundated on Wednesday.

“Shout out to the health worker who I spoke to, nice quick ... call to double check I’m not on the register,” a mother, Emma Abrahams, posted on a NSW Health social media page.

“Pleasant experience and good place to get advice.”

Originally published as Midwife with hepatitis B still working at hospital amid exposure fears