00:00Some women have been speaking out about their traumatic experience of birth inside Tasmanian hospitals.
00:09Others have made submissions to a parliamentary inquiry investigating maternity services around the state.
00:16One woman alleges hospital staff delayed investigating her abdominal pain.
00:21Her baby subsequently died and she had to be resuscitated.
00:25Claire suffered a birth injury she claims caused permanent infertility.
00:29She planned to have a large family and says it impacted her mental health.
00:33Emma says her baby's arm was paralyzed as a result of birth and she suffered a third degree perineal tear and pelvic floor damage as a result of birth.
00:42She now has urinary incontinence and mental health impacts.
00:46The hospital has admitted liability in this case.
00:49These women have all now taken legal action.
00:52It's something solicitor Bernadette Davies is all too familiar with.
00:56She's represented other Tasmanian women who've suffered birth trauma.
01:01The right of an individual to provide informed consent is protected under the law and it's a very important facet of the law.
01:10Those representing hospital staff say it's important to remember that they're often making split second life and death decisions.
01:18Decisions are made all the time in a hospital in emergencies without obtaining explicit consent from a patient.
01:25But that's because it's deemed to be in the best interests physically, psychologically but particularly physically for the care of the mother and the baby.
01:34The patient must be properly advised of risks before any medical intervention and treatment takes place.
01:42And if that advice is not properly given then the patient can't make a properly informed choice.
01:49It is a significant duty that's owed by medical professionals to patients and if it's breached the consequences are dire.
01:57An ABC investigation into birth trauma uncovered allegations of women undergoing medical procedures and being medicated without consent at the Launceston General Hospital.
02:08It's hoped these experiences will help inform the Tasmanian Government inquiry into maternal services.
02:14That's the sort of evidence that a Parliamentary Committee can take into account and help inform the Government and public policy in this area.
02:23And that's why I think this Maternal Health Committee that's been established in the Parliament will do important work of uncovering those stories and those experiences and being able to address them properly.
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