Following reports of adverse incidents, the Health Ombudsman has released a report into the safety and quality of maternity services at the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CQHHS).
The Ombudsman, Andrew Brown said that since the reports, CQHHS had made significant progress in improving its maternity service.
“The CQHHS Board has committed to providing safe, high quality maternity services for mothers and babies across Central Queensland,” Mr Brown said.
“It continues to demonstrate innovation, energy and commitment to a continuous improvement journey and I feel confident that families will receive excellent care at all five maternity services providers in Central Queensland.”
The Ombudsman’s investigation examined the quality and safety of maternity services at Rockhampton, Gladstone, Emerald and Biloela Hospitals and Theodore Multipurpose Health Service between 2015 and 2018.
It made a number of recommendations to CQHHS.
“The investigation was part of my office’s responsibility to promote high standards of service delivery by health service organisations and protect the health and safety of the Queensland public,” Mr Brown said.
“It was prompted by a small number of adverse events that had occurred in the region in 2015 and 2016.”
He said a small number of families experienced painful and/or tragic outcomes while receiving maternity care in hospitals in the CQHHS, the human impact of which was not to be diminished or forgotten.
“However, the response to these incidents has demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement to provide the best care for the women of Central Queensland,” Mr Brown said.
“The Office has made four recommendations in four key areas in relation to the CQHHS’s oversight of maternity services,” he said.
These included the development of a midwifery caseload transfer policy, refining incident escalation procedures, ensuring robust oversight of the safety and quality governance chain, and ensuring clinician engagement in incident response.
CQHHS has accepted all recommendations in the report.
The Ombudsman’s 149-page report can be accessed at this PS News link.
