Toowoomba Hospital maternity review fails to answer mother's concerns
After the traumatic birth of her son, Ashleigh Hills says a recent summary review into the Toowoomba Hospital has not done enough to address concerns.
A five-page report on ongoing concerns at Toowoomba Hospital's maternity unit was released, failing to address mothers' specific issues. Queensland Health, citing legal, privacy, ethical, and confidentiality obligations, typically does not publish full reports. Ashleigh Hills, a mother whose birth experience was traumatic, is among the affected mothers.
She experienced difficulties during labor, leading to a rare condition called Bandl's ring and a fractured skull in her newborn, Austin. Despite multiple complaints over years, several longstanding issues remain unresolved. The review, commissioned by Queensland Health in February, found deficits in the complaints process, which the hospital has since acknowledged as unacceptable.
Darling Downs Health Service chief executive Annette Scott stated that the hospital is acting on 117 recommendations, while Health Minister Tim Nicholls emphasized the need for the Darling Downs Health Service to focus on delivering hospital-implemented recommendations. Shadow Health Minister Mark Bailey called for the full report's release, demanding transparency and accountability.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
