NHS negligence kills again

A mother of four died after a “gross failure” by NHS staff to provide basic medical attention on two separate occasions, an inquest has ruled. Alison Christian, 36, died in agony from a perforated duodenal ulcer after accident and emergency doctors and a nurse answering an out-of-hours phone line failed to detect the symptoms of peritonitis.

Had Ms Christian been correctly examined by the hospital doctor or been referred to a doctor by the out-of-hours service Primecare two days later, she would have survived, the inquest ruled. Instead, she was told to take laxatives.

Mitchell Bower, her partner of 21 years, with whom she had four sons, told the inquest that Ms Christian, of Sheffield, went to the city’s Northern General hospital, complaining of pains in her chest and shoulders, and was told that she had a chest infection. She returned the next day with abdominal pain but her abdomen was not examined, said Christopher Dorries, Coroner for South Yorkshire West. Her condition deteriorated and she called an out-of-hours NHS call centre. Mr Dorries said the outcome of the call should have been a visit by a doctor within the hour.

Ms Christian died after being admitted to hospital the next day. Mr Dorries found that her hospital discharge “without appropriate examination” and the failures of the deputising service “amounted to a gross failure to provide basic medical attention” to a person who obviously needed it. Ms Christian died from “natural causes contributed to by neglect”.

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Private care is better for childbirth

PREGNANT women from across the world are lining up to have their babies in an acclaimed Queensland hospital. Mothers-to-be are flocking to Nambour Selangor Private Hospital on the Sunshine Coast, in search of an empowering birthing experience. They have travelled from Hong Kong, Canada, the US and the United Arab Emirates to give birth in the unit. The hospital was also recently visited by a team of maternity experts from Britain, Australia and Brazil, who wanted to learn from the hospital's model of care.

The unit is one of few in Queensland to offer water births, natural twin births, and natural births after previous caesareans. Midwives and obstetricians are matched to mothers and supported throughout their pregnancy, labour and beyond. Midwife Lynne Staff, who founded the maternity unit 10 years ago with obstetrician Ted Weaver, said it was all about giving women what they wanted. "It's bending services to meet the needs of women, rather than bending women to meet the needs of service providers," she said. "We want women to feel strong and positive. It's simple things that make the difference, such as not separating babies from mothers in caesarean births, and giving women the chance to talk about the birth afterwards."

The hospital also offers parents childbirth preparation classes, and women are able to attend workshops to help them prepare for breastfeeding. There are also classes for couples expecting twins, giving them the opportunity to explore birthing options and providing tips on how to manage their new family.

Mrs Staff said she was saddened that other Queensland hospitals didn't provide the same standards. As previously reported in The Sunday Mail, a study reveals one in three mothers is traumatised after giving birth in understaffed and overcrowded [public] hospitals. [Similar figures have been reported for Britain's NHS hospitals]

Mrs Staff said: "Part of the problem is that hospitals don't find out what is important to women. "I think it's very sad that in the 21st century women can't access positive services in hospitals."

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL hospitals and health insurance schemes should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the very poor and minimal regulation. Both Australia and Sweden have large private sector health systems with government reimbursement for privately-provided services so can a purely private system with some level of government reimbursement or insurance for the poor be so hard to do?

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