Hospital staff ‘too busy’ for dead baby

Jamie Bowman walked into Rotorua Hospital expecting help to give birth to a baby who had been dead for at least a week.

Instead, she was forced to give birth to her stillborn son in a hospital room with only her mother there. For 25 minutes afterwards, she sat in the room holding her dead baby.

When her mum went into the corridor ‘‘holding a bedpan with my deceased baby and a lot of blood in it’’, Bowman says she was told staff were busy and would be with her soon.

It was a horrible end to an ordeal that started eight days earlier, on March 1, when Bowman, a Taupo¯ resident, had a scan and found her baby’s heart had stopped beating.

She was advised to see the obstetric team at Rotorua Hospital the following day at 9am for a dilation and curettage [D&C].

‘‘Upon arrival at the emergency department front desk at 8.45am, nobody had a clue who I was. I then had to explain to four or five staff members what had happened and why I was there.’’

Bowman said she and her partner waited 90 minutes for the obstetrician but were then told another scan was needed.

‘‘Another 40 minutes passed ... we were then told we didn’t need the scan and an obstetrician was on his way,’’ Bowman said.

‘‘Once he arrived, he told us he was only training and couldn’t provide a plan.

‘‘We were told to go home.’’ Five days later, Bowman returned to Rotorua Hospital to take the first of two pills that manage late miscarriages.

‘‘By then he had already been dead inside me for who knows how long but it was days since finding out, so I had a whole week waiting while he was dead already.’’

She was put in a birthing suite while she waited to be seen.

‘‘I cannot express in words how traumatising this was – to be put in a birthing suite having been through what I had.

‘‘I began to have a panic attack, something I have never ever experienced in my life.

‘‘After stressing the urgency to move me, I was taken somewhere else, where eventually I was given the first dose and sent home.’’

On March 8, Bowman’s mother drove her to Rotorua Hospital for her second dose but she went into labour on the way.

Upon arrival, Bowman’s mother asked a nurse for help and was told they were changing shifts and would help when they could.

Not long after, Bowman gave birth. ‘‘This whole ordeal was already such a sad, horrific thing to go through. I felt completely let down by the health system,’’ Bowman said.

‘‘Nobody cared at all about what I had gone through, nor was anyone willing to help. It is absolutely disgusting people can treat mothers this way and get away with it. We were left completely alone and not a single person wanted to help.’’

Lakes District Health Board quality, risk and clinical governance director Dr Sharon Kletchko said Bowman’s treatment is being investigated.

‘‘The complaint from this patient was immediately placed into Lakes DHB’S complaints process,’’ Kletchko said.

Kletchko said the investigation would involve both Bowman and her lead maternity carer.

‘‘Clinicians involved in this patient’s treatment are a critical part of the investigation process.

‘‘Lakes DHB always regrets when patients do not have a good experience during their visit to one of our hospitals.

‘‘We sincerely regret any distress for this patient and her partner.’’

A complaint has also been made to the Health and Disability Commission which has been in touch to organise a meeting.

‘‘Nobody cared at all about what I had gone through, nor was anyone willing to help.’’ Jamie Bowman