A central Queensland mother says she's relieved the coroner will review the death of her baby and two others at the Mackay Base Hospital.
Rahni Falconer was one day old when she was taken off life support and died in the arms of her mother in August 2020.
She is one of three babies whose lives were cut short due to failings at the hospital.
An internal review in 2021 into the cause of Rahni's death found her mother, Shontell Falconer, wasn't properly monitored, even after being recognised as a very high risk pregnancy and suffering from pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy.
It found that Mrs Falconer should have been monitored more frequently and admitted to hospital much sooner than she was.
The Emerald mother said the loss of Rahni was just the start of her family's ongoing trauma.
"I felt like a failure because she passed away, my body basically killed her, that's how [sic] I was told in the hospital," she said.
Mrs Falconer said Rahni's death wasn't initially treated as reportable under the Coroner's Act.
"We were told there was no need for autopsy, it's all natural causes, and the coroner writes it off ... they only went from the notes they were given at the beginning," she said.
The coroner will determine if the deaths should be the subject of a coronial inquiry.
Mrs Falconer said many times prior to going into labour she felt like her concerns weren't being listened to by staff at the Mackay Base Hospital and there was no understanding of her medical history.
"I had to ask one of the doctors if he was going to take my blood pressure ... I felt like a bit of an idiot and I was an inconvenience," she said.
'Missed opportunity'
The Mackay Hospital and Health Service conducted its internal review into the death of Rahni in 2021, which found several failings in the care provided to Mrs Falconer and Rahni.
It concluded there was poor coordination of care and access to effective and timely clinical care and monitoring by senior doctors.
The report also found equipment needed to administer medication to Rahni couldn't be found on the neonatal resuscitation trolley.
It was also critical of a "missed opportunity" to diagnose pre-eclampsia and a decision to increase medication for Mrs Falconer and not admit her to hospital.
Several other protocols were also not followed, the report found.
Mrs Falconer said she received better care and attention at the Emerald Hospital than at the bigger facility in Mackay that she was referred to.
"If I got there [to the Mackay Base Hospital] and I was admitted Rahni would have been 32 weeks — and we all know babies live from 28 weeks," she said.
"She'd be here, she'd be out nice and healthy."
Stalled path to compensation
Mrs Falconer is one of several women who have been assessed as having a claim to compensation due to sub-standard care at the Mackay Base Hospital.
Despite the damning report into Obstetric and Gynaecology Services at the Mackay Base Hospital being released several months ago, Mrs Falconer said there had been no progress towards a compensation settlement.
And she is not alone.
'Absolute hell'
Mackay mother Jess Beazley lost her newborn son Nathan in 2013 due to failings at the hospital.
Ms Beazley said she had been given no timeline for the compensation pathway and the situation was "extremely overwhelming".
She said it was sad it was taking so long.
"I am a shell of myself ... this has been absolute hell," she said.
Compensation in limbo
In a statement, Queensland Health said women whose care was below minimally-accepted standards had been invited to opt into a compensation assessment pathway.
A spokesperson said the pathway was being managed by the insurer and conducted in accordance with Queensland law for personal injuries.
Mrs Falconer said compensation, while important, was difficult to think about, especially after being told months ago they were eligible.
"How dare they go out, admit the negligence and then there's just nothing," she said.
"My friends keep reminding me, remember that number [for compensation] is not for Rahni, that number is to get you help, to help you and support you."
Mrs Falconer said nothing would bring her daughter back, but she wanted to do everything she could to stop other families experiencing her heartbreak.
"This shouldn't have happened and I have to prove that they hurt me, that I'm suffering mentally and my children [two sons] suffer because of that," she said.
"Pregnant women aren't being heard and it needs to stop."
