Meg and James Flaskett say system failed them after heartbreaking loss of baby Thea at Redcliffe Hospital

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Investigations are underway after the death of a newborn at Redcliffe hospital, north of Brisbane. Meg and James flasket say their daughter died alleging the baby needed oxygen, but the tank was empty. The hospital has defended its staff.

Transcript

00:00 Thea Flaskett lived for just four hours.

00:05 It's the most amazing thing to ever lay your eyes on.

00:10 Red hair, these bright blue eyes, she was quite big.

00:14 I think she would have been the sassiest little girl.

00:17 In September, Meg Flaskett was admitted to Redcliffe Hospital

00:20 where Thea was born.

00:22 When Bub finally was delivered, she didn't cry.

00:26 She had the cord around her neck.

00:28 The new mum says it was removed and oxygen was required.

00:32 One of the midwives went to put it on and they were like,

00:35 "This one's empty, we need to change it."

00:37 And then there was communication back and forth with,

00:40 "Well, where is one? How do we do it?"

00:42 In terms of the tank, what we know is at some stage

00:45 the tank became empty and it was changed

00:47 and oxygen was given to the baby.

00:49 Holding my finger the whole time and then it just all plummeted.

00:53 The newborn was going to be taken to the martyr in Brisbane,

00:56 but died.

00:57 I just held on to her and I cried.

01:00 Metro North Hospital and Health Service says

01:03 a full clinical review is underway.

01:06 The health ombudsman and the coroner are also investigating.

01:10 It's a very sad story and Meg came to my election office

01:16 during last week and shared it with us

01:19 and we've been doing our best to support her.

01:22 I feel for my hard-working frontline nurses and doctors

01:26 and paramedics who are trying to work in a system that is broken.

01:29 The couple is meeting with the Health Minister on Tuesday.

01:32 The hospital says interim findings indicate the ward

01:35 was fully stocked with oxygen supplies and staff were trained.

01:40 The medical director isn't admitting to any mistakes.

01:43 No, we don't.

01:45 Had she been met with the oxygen, even in those first eight minutes

01:50 when they were saying that she was OK,

01:52 I think she would have had a much better chance.

01:55 The couple wants to have another child.

01:58 I do hope one day that Theo sends us a sibling.

02:01 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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