The New South Wales health minister, Ryan Park, has apologised to women who were failed by the maternity care they received, as the government supported all 43 recommendations from a state inquiry into birth trauma.
Thousands of women shared harrowing details with the inquiry, which was established in 2023 to understand experiences of childbirth that lead to physical or psychological harm.
The final report, delivered in May, called for urgent efforts to address avoidable lack of continuity of care, lack of trauma-informed practices, inadequate antenatal education, inadequate informed consent practices, a lack of respect for women’s birthing choices and experiences, and a lack of inclusivity and culturally appropriate services.
Park said the government recognised and appreciated “the courage of the thousands of women who shared their deeply personal and difficult experiences with the select committee on birth trauma”.
“We apologise to women who have not received the high standard of maternity care they should have.”
The NSW government’s response to the inquiry’s recommendations supports in full or in principle 42 of its 43 recommendations. It noted recommendation 43, that the inquiry chair, Emma Hurst, write to the Health Care Complaints Commission and ask it to consider publicly reporting maternity care complaints data.
Park said over the next 12 months the government would fast-track numerous initiatives, including those to improve access to continuity of care and to ensure informed consent.
Hurst said that while the government had supported all of the committee’s recommendations, the “real test” lies in coming months, “as we see what policy changes and reforms are implemented by NSW Health and in hospitals across NSW”.
“Thousands of women vulnerably shared their stories to this inquiry in hope of achieving systemic change,” Hurst said. “They need to be assured that major reform and appropriate funding will be dedicated to this space, not just tinkering around the edges.”
A submission from Human Rights in Childbirth said Guardian Australia’s investigation into the harm caused in rural and regional towns by gynaecologist Emil Gayed “revealed the extent to which facilities would go, at times over decades, to protect obstetricians that were practising … performing procedures without consent … committing serious medical errors in surgery, and performing hysterectomies without consent”.
Prof Hannah Dahlen, from Western Sydney University’s school of nursing and midwifery, said healthcare providers need to accept their responsibility and duty of care in preventing birth trauma.
“We know we as care providers are a large part of this problem and it is time we admitted that, said ‘sorry’ and learned from women how to be better,” she said.
“Together, women, clinicians and government can get this right. The evidence of how much women actually matter to this government will be seen in the commitment we now see to changes in healthcare delivery and the determination of government to make sure those changes are prioritised and supported into the future.”
Sharon Settecasse, from Better Births Illawarra, said every day, one in three women face “unacceptable and distressing” birth experiences.
“These mothers and their babies deserve immediate action,” she said.
