Statement regarding Ministerial inquiry into KEMH obstetrics services [Audio]

14/4/00
Earlier this year the Metropolitan Health Service (MHS) appointed Dr Andrew Child, Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, King George V Hospital, New South Wales and Ms Pauline Glover, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery, Flinders University, South Australia to conduct a review of obstetrics and gynaecological services at King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women (KEMH).
This review was conducted from March 20 to April 3 and included interviews conducted over five days on site at KEMH. The reviewers also received confidential submissions and selected case notes and registers were examined.
The report of the reviewers has now been received by the MHSB which has provided me with a copy. I also had the benefit of meeting with the reviewers when they were in Perth.
Dr Child and Ms Glover have advised that KEMH has many strong points and areas of excellence. However, they have also expressed serious concerns about some components of the obstetric services at the hospital.
Many of the recommendations of the reviewers relate to ensuring that appropriate quality control, peer review and clinical management processes are in place. The Board of the MHSB has instructed the Chief Executive Officer of the MHSB and the Chief Executive of the Hospital to prepare plans to adequately address these issues. Some changes have already been put in place.
However, the reviewers have also advised that some particular cases should be further investigated.
I have therefore decided to establish an inquiry under Section 9 of the Hospitals and Health Services Act 1927. The terms of reference of the inquiry have not yet been finalised but will complement those of the previous review and enable some matters regarding past practice to be further inquired into.
The inquiry will, of course, require appropriate legal expertise and I expect the details to be finalised shortly after Easter.
I also make the point that there is no doubt that those who are involved in the practice of obstetrics are working in a field which is very demanding, often difficult and stressful and sometimes unavoidably traumatic.
As KEMH is the tertiary referral centre for obstetrics in Western Australia, the cases which staff need to deal with are often more complex than elsewhere. There are many highly qualified and dedicated staff at KEMH who do the very best they can for patients. The services provided there need to be seen in this context.
Equally, the community has a right to expect that the quality of care is as good as anywhere in the world. I am sure that the work which has been undertaken by the reviewers, and which will be further undertaken through the inquiry I am establishing, will assist in ensuring this is the case.
Media contact: Carole Cowling 9213 6600

"The reviewers have expressed serious concerns about some of the observations that they have made and its because of those concerns, together with some other advice that the inquiry is being established." (556KB/25secs)
"Its actually a ministerial inquiry. A person or persons will be appointed by me to undertake that inquiry and the inquiry will have the powers of a royal commission." (410KB/19 secs)
"There are many highly qualified and dedicated staff at King Edward who do the very best they can for patients." (548KB/25secs)