Amanda Camm removed from parliament over fiery Mackay Base Hospital questions

Mackay Hospital and Health Service has confirmed the terms of reference for an external investigation sparked by obstetric and gynaecological complication complaints.

The safety and quality of services, and patient experiences, over a 27 month period will be investigated under the Mackay Hospital and Health Service’s external review in the wake of complaints.

MHHS chief executive Lisa Davies Jones today confirmed the terms of reference for the investigation that will begin on Monday, November 1.

The investigation will examine the management, administration and delivery of obstetrics and gynaecology services, and review patient feedback to the MHHS received via the hotline.

It will also examine incidents and complaints recorded at MHHS from July 1, 2019, through to Sunday, October 31, 2021, as well as the safety and quality and safety of services including referencing the rates of complications.

“Mackay HHS takes all concerns seriously and I expect the independent reviewers will assess all feedback thoroughly,” Ms Davies Jones said.

“If any woman is yet to provide feedback she wants considered, now is the time to do so on our hotline.”

The hotline remains open. Phone [phone].

The review’s terms of reference state the investigation will look at all community feedback from consumers and staff, and other grouped data “whether referrable to individual clinicians or the service as a whole” during the July 1, 2019 to October 31, 2021 period.

It would seek to “identify any trends indicating any inadequacies in the safety and quality of the services in the period covered”, and “identify how, if at all, in the provision of the services over the said time MHHS did not acceptably comply with applicable standards or guidelines, and/or did not follow accepted practices for services of this kind, in a HHS like MHHS, that have contributed to the indicated inadequacies”.

The review will be led by Dr Greg Duncombe and Professor Edward Weaver with support from Professor of Midwifery at Griffith University Mary Sidebotham.

The review panel will now also include consumer representative Leah Hardiman.

All reviewers are from outside MHHS and under the Part 9 legislation governing the investigation, they alone will determine how they address the terms of reference.

Ms Davies Jones said the investigation findings would be shared with the community after the review panel has reported back on their investigation.

“We will engage widely on their report and where appropriate co-design changes with staff, our Maternity Consumer Reference Group and other stakeholders.”

Hospital claims spark fiery exchanges in Parliament House

Two doctors employed at Mackay Base Hospital have official reprimands on their records as revealed in a second day of questioning in parliament.

Opposition Health spokeswoman Ros Bates, during Question Time, called on Health Minister Yvette D’Ath to explain the contradiction between responses on Tuesday and this morning.

Ms D’Ath, responding a question on Tuesday, had said no doctor at Mackay Base Hospital had reprimands on their record.

“I rise to make a brief ministerial statement in response to the question from one of the members on the other side in relation to whether there are any doctors operating at the Mackay hospital who have any reprimands,” Ms D’Ath said.

“I’m advised by the HHS that there is not.”

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath. Picture: Tara Croser

But today, under questioning from Ms Bates, the health minister clarified.

“I refer to the minister’s statement after yesterday’s question time, ‘there is no doctor at Mackay hospital who has reprimands on their clinical registration’,” Ms Bates said.

“The Opposition can reveal that public records show this is incorrect and a doctor with reprimands is still operating in Mackay.”

Opposition Health spokeswoman Ros Bates.

Ms D’Ath told parliament a further search of personnel records had found two doctors with reprimands were employed at the hospital.

“I was advised yesterday at the end of Question Time that there was none based on what they thought the query was at the time,” Ms D’Ath said.

“I’ve been advised that further searches were performed by Mackay HHS.

“Two doctors have been identified with reprimands.

“These reprimands were issued prior to employment in Mackay and were disclosed during recruitment selection processes.”

It is understood the two doctors are not connected to the MHHS obstetrics and gynaecology department.

The exchange follows a fiery exchange in the house yesterday that led to Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm being booted from the chamber and revelations the number of contacts to the MHHS feedback line neared 100.

On Tuesday, LNP leader David Crisafulli questioned the safety of caesarean procedures at the hospital in the wake of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists suspending the MBH accreditation.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath answered the terms of reference for the external review were being finalised, and once set, would be released publicly.

“In relation to the accreditation, I am advised that the Mackay Base Hospital’s accreditation with the (RANZCOG) is suspended, not cancelled,” she said.

“Following a routine periodic review, the college made a number of recommendations, and the health service is working to implement these to meet the ongoing requirements for accreditation as a training site.

“I am advised the HHS will work to implement the recommendations to meet the ongoing requirements for accreditation at this site.”

Amy Puddy, 32, with baby Nate Andersen who was born at Mackay Base Hospital on March 23, 2021. Ms Puddy says her artery was cut during a caesarean. Picture: Contributed

Ms Camm revealed to the house Mackay woman Amy Puddy’s experience at Mackay Base Hospital, saying the young mother had experienced complications after suffering a severed artery during a caesarean procedure.

“Amy has been told that she will never give birth naturally and now is afraid of having children again,” Ms Camm said.

“What is going wrong at the Mackay Base Hospital?”

Ms D’Ath replied: “It is because of examples like Amy’s that the chief executive has initiated a review about which I have spoken and detailed the process going forward”.

Ms Camm, who was earlier warned for interjecting during question time, was then removed from the chamber for the remainder of the session.

Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm. Picture: Heidi Petith

Speaking outside, Ms Camm said being kicked out of parliament paled in contrast to the stories women had told her in the past two weeks.

“The frustration is that it has taken advocates like Beryl Crosby and the Opposition to bring this out into the light,” she said.

“She (Ms D’Ath) reported today in parliament that 99 contacts had been made.

“The stories shared by women who attended the Town Hall, and who have continued to contact my office has resulted in a loss of confidence in the maternity and gynaecological services at Mackay Base Hospital.

“It should be noted the (MHHS) chief executive (Lisa Davies Jones) has taken action but the amount of women who have come forward and the timeframe demonstrates there has been an issue for some time.”

Originally published as Amanda Camm removed from parliament over fiery Mackay Base Hospital questions