Hospital Miscarriage Protocols to be Reviewed

Last week we brought you the story of mother Jodie Whiteside, who miscarried in the toilets of a NSW public hospital after been treated rudely by nursing staff.

Since then a similar case, involving 39-year-old Lisa Watt from the same hospital has been brought to light. It seems that after the Jana Horska saga of 2007, a government inquiry recommened certain protocols to be put in place when women are suspected of miscarrying.

They state that the woman should be transferred immediately to a maternity ward for treatment, rather than left to tough it out on their own in a public restroom. These protocols don’t seem to have been followed by Maitland hospital.

NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca yesterday announced the state-wide use of the guidelines would be audited and staff at the hospital would undergo specific training following the complaints last week.

Mr Della Bosca said the protocols were about respect, dignity and caring and the reports from the women were “very distressing”.

Aren’t we lucky that Jodie Whiteside and Lisa Watt were brave enough to speak out about their experiences.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Mrs Watt said no other woman should have had to experience what she went through.

“You can move through the loss of a child but the flushing the toilet …. that’s there every day,” she said.

“It’s such a horrible feeling, I live with it every day.”

Mrs Watt said she was shocked to hear it had happened again at the same hospital and phoned Ms Whiteside to offer support.

“I wasn’t going to speak out but if I do nothing I feel like everything I’ve been through in the last eight months has been for nothing,” she said.

“If I do step up it might just change something.”