A midwife who deliberately deceived her labouring patient by giving her saline solution instead of painkillers could be allowed to keep practising despite her "disgraceful" behaviour.
Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill slammed the midwife as "disgraceful and dishonest," in a report released on Monday.
The findings of the report revealed the unnamed midwife cared for pregnant woman Ms B throughout 2017 and was present for her labour in 2018.
- DHBs and midwives reach settlement
- Midwives' union back to battling DHBs over pay
- Struggle for midwives as demand booms
The report did not say where the midwife worked.
Ms B told her midwife before she entered labour she wanted Entonox gas and pethidine for her birth.
When Ms B asked for pethidine during labour, the midwife went to the dispensary and told a student midwife and a second midwife about the "amazing effect" of the placebo effect while drawing a syringe of saline solution.
She then allegedly told the student midwife that women look up to their midwives as a child would look up to a parent and if you tell them what you're giving them is pain relief they'll believe you.
She then went back to the labouring woman, administered the saline solution and told her it was pain relief. This procedure was repeated four more times.
Four hours after she requested it Ms B was administered a dose of pethidine.
Hill criticised the midwife, saying she ignored consent.
"Ms B's birth plan included the use of pethidine and [the midwife] told Ms B she was being administered pethidine when in fact she was being administered saline," he wrote.
"Ms B's pain continued and by not providing her with the medication she had requested and agreed to receive [the midwife] ignored the fundamental importance of consent."
After the birth, the midwife told Ms B she had been given saline and not pain relief. Ms B confirmed this to Hill, and expressed her happiness she had not been given pain relief, as she was worried about the effect it could have on her baby. Therefore, he concluded Ms B was not told she did eventually receive pain relief.
Hill recommended the midwife undergo further training with regard to the Code of Rights, informed consent and client communication.
He also recommended the Midwifery Council of New Zealand consider making her undergo a competency review.
Finally, he asked she write a letter of apology to Ms B and has referred the case to the Director of Proceedings to see whether further legal action should be taken.
Newshub.
