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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-13 Daily Xml
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PORT AUGUSTA MEDICAL TRANSFERS

In reply to the Hon. SANDRA KANCK (21 November 2007).

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy): The Minister for Health has advised:

1. The baby was delivered at 8.45 pm on Saturday, 21 April 2007.

2. At 6.15 pm on 21 April 2007 the woman presented herself and was admitted to Port Augusta Hospital in labour. Within 45 minutes a retrieval team was requested by the Port Augusta medical staff from the Flinders Medical Centre. The retrieval team arrived at the Port Augusta Hospital and took over care of the infant at 10.15 pm and left at 11.00 pm.

During her admission the labour progressed quickly and she was continuously monitored.

3. The woman was not transported with her baby as staff from Port Augusta Hospital assessed her as requiring further observation and stabilisation of her recovery after dural puncture. The day after the birth there was no clinical indication for the woman to be transported to Adelaide by ambulance.

4. The woman was assisted to complete a reimbursement claim from the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS) in regards to the bus ticket cost. PATS does not reimburse the first $30 of a journey's cost.

The woman was offered a taxi voucher by the Port Augusta Hospital to use with the transport from the bus terminal to the Flinders Medical Centre. However, she refused the offer, stating that she could use an Australia wide taxi voucher, which was supplied to her by another source.

5. The medical officer made a clinical decision to approve the woman's discharge. The medical officer was not aware of the woman's intention to travel unaccompanied by bus to Adelaide.

6. In late 2007, Port Augusta Hospital prepared 'guidelines when mother and baby are separated after birth due to clinical transfer'. These guidelines were approved and implemented by the hospital's nursing division in February 2008.

Additional hospital car drivers have been recruited to ensure that a mother can be transferred to Adelaide, as soon as is clinically practicable, by a hospital car after hours and at weekends.

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