Long awaited Coronial findings critical of midwifery care

Embargoed for Publication until 5am Saturday 31 January 2015 Action to Improve Maternity (AIM) www.aim.org.nz

Long awaited Coronial findings critical of midwifery care of mother and baby at Birthcare Huntly

Casey Nathan (20 years old) died in May 2012 just hours after giving birth at Birthcare Huntly. Her baby Kymani died two days later. Their whanau wish to thank Coroner Evans for his careful and respectful conduct of the inquest into their deaths. The whanau continues to grieve for their loss and agrees with the Coroner’s findings that “successive errors of clinical judgement and failures to follow proper midwifery practice” (page 72 para 13) contributed to the tragic outcome. Whilst they are very aware nothing will bring their loved ones back, they are hopeful that swift and thorough changes made as recommended will prevent this unimaginable hurt from reoccurring.

The midwifery care was provided by a recently graduated, relatively inexperienced young midwife and also two other midwives, selfemployed midwife Nicky Mecchia and Birthcare Huntly Clinical Manager Korina Vaughn, also a member of the Midwifery Council of New Zealand.

The younger midwife (name suppressed) had just completed the yearlong system of occasional educational sessions and approximately monthly “mentorship” meetings for new graduate midwives known as the Midwifery First Year of Practice programme. Contrary to what the public may expect this programme to entail, and to what many have recommended in the past, it does not mandate close “over the shoulder” supervision of new graduates while they gain experience.

Jenn Hooper, spokesperson of the AIM: Action to Improve Maternity consumer support network, says “We implore the Hon. Jonathan Coleman, Minister of Health to urgently implement each of the Coroner’s very strong and specific recommendations, including that midwives who offer their services to the community have a longer hospital-based apprenticeship process. Then the public may be reassured that mothers and babies are in safer, more experienced hands and that future tragedies of this nature may be avoided."

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