Starting school should be a happy milestone. For this family, it's a reminder of tragedy
'We were told a lot of it was because [the hospital] had just opened, but five years on, those problems still appear to be going on,' Helen said.
Now, they are telling their story for the first time, hoping to have their son's death re-investigated and ensure the hospital learns from mistakes made under Healthscope as it moves into public hands.
'Life or death'
Asher and Finn were monochorionic diamniotic identical twins, meaning they shared a placenta but each had their own sac.
The Broadleys knew the pregnancy was high-risk. They were diligent, easing their parental anxieties by counting fetal kicks and regular visits to specialists. They wanted to manage the pregnancy through Royal North Shore, wary about a string of highly publicised mishaps at Northern Beaches in its first year. But they were assured the hospital could care for high-risk pregnancies and, despite never seeing the same obstetrician twice, the first 30 weeks went relatively smoothly.
Then, one Sunday evening, the twins went quiet. They were moving less, their kicks were softer. The hospital's birthing unit told them to come in for precautionary checks.
Busy midwives struggled to detect their heart rates and, at one stage, gave the monitor to Dan while they saw other patients. 'I'm a graphic designer, I'm not a doctor. It just seemed bizarre,' he said.
Helen was kept overnight for monitoring, but medical records show the twins' vitals were not monitored from 11pm until 8.30am. When midwives conducted morning observations, they discovered one twin had an abnormal heart rate.
The investigation found this should have triggered a 'rapid response' escalation under the hospital's own protocols. Instead, a specialist doctor didn't assess the twins until 9:30am, when an obstetrics consultant told Helen it was a 'life and death situation' and called for an emergency caesarean.
What had been a calm Monday morning descended into a blur. People rushed to Helen's bedside – shouting, pulling her clothes off, sticking needles in her arm. She had only just told Dan to go into work, but now she was given her phone to tell him they were going to deliver their twins.
'We were told a lot of it was because it [the hospital] had just opened, but five years on, those problems still appear to be going on.'
Helen Broadley
When Dan arrived at the hospital half an hour later, the twins had been delivered. Neither were breathing. Reunited in the recovery room, Dan and Helen were told they had lost Finn, and Asher had been rushed to Royal North Shore in a critical condition. They were left holding Finn, unable to fathom what had just happened as they watched cars pass on the highway below.
Life after Healthscope
Several findings from the root cause analysis – including that staff had developed 'work around' methods to document and locate key information on the EMS – have since been echoed in a scathing audit and the investigation into Joe Massa's death.
These revelations compelled the Broadleys to share their story and call for Finn's death to be re-investigated 'without the involvement of Healthscope'.
'I don't want to make a woman who's already anxious about her pregnancy feel more anxious,' Helen said. 'But, to us, it feels like there were some real failings in the care we received.'
A spokesperson for Northern Sydney Local Health District said they had provided ongoing support to Dan and Helen since the loss of baby Finn.
They said all 12 recommendations had been implemented, and Healthscope was required to submit regular quality improvement plans for maternity services. But the government could not control the IT systems Healthscope chose to use, they said.
On Monday, state parliament will debate a bill seeking to legislate an end to the public-private partnership with Healthscope.
Asked if he would support another investigation, Health Minister Ryan Park said it would be inappropriate to 'duplicate or circumvent' the original report or a review under way by the Health Care Complaints Commission.
'My deepest sympathies are with the Broadley family for this unimaginable tragedy,' he said.
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Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Starting school should be a happy milestone. For this family, it's a reminder of tragedy
'We were told a lot of it was because [the hospital] had just opened, but five years on, those problems still appear to be going on,' Helen said. Now, they are telling their story for the first time, hoping to have their son's death re-investigated and ensure the hospital learns from mistakes made under Healthscope as it moves into public hands. 'Life or death' Asher and Finn were monochorionic diamniotic identical twins, meaning they shared a placenta but each had their own sac. The Broadleys knew the pregnancy was high-risk. They were diligent, easing their parental anxieties by counting fetal kicks and regular visits to specialists. They wanted to manage the pregnancy through Royal North Shore, wary about a string of highly publicised mishaps at Northern Beaches in its first year. But they were assured the hospital could care for high-risk pregnancies and, despite never seeing the same obstetrician twice, the first 30 weeks went relatively smoothly. Then, one Sunday evening, the twins went quiet. They were moving less, their kicks were softer. The hospital's birthing unit told them to come in for precautionary checks. Busy midwives struggled to detect their heart rates and, at one stage, gave the monitor to Dan while they saw other patients. 'I'm a graphic designer, I'm not a doctor. It just seemed bizarre,' he said. Helen was kept overnight for monitoring, but medical records show the twins' vitals were not monitored from 11pm until 8.30am. When midwives conducted morning observations, they discovered one twin had an abnormal heart rate. The investigation found this should have triggered a 'rapid response' escalation under the hospital's own protocols. Instead, a specialist doctor didn't assess the twins until 9:30am, when an obstetrics consultant told Helen it was a 'life and death situation' and called for an emergency caesarean. What had been a calm Monday morning descended into a blur. People rushed to Helen's bedside – shouting, pulling her clothes off, sticking needles in her arm. She had only just told Dan to go into work, but now she was given her phone to tell him they were going to deliver their twins. 'We were told a lot of it was because it [the hospital] had just opened, but five years on, those problems still appear to be going on.' Helen Broadley When Dan arrived at the hospital half an hour later, the twins had been delivered. Neither were breathing. Reunited in the recovery room, Dan and Helen were told they had lost Finn, and Asher had been rushed to Royal North Shore in a critical condition. They were left holding Finn, unable to fathom what had just happened as they watched cars pass on the highway below. Life after Healthscope Several findings from the root cause analysis – including that staff had developed 'work around' methods to document and locate key information on the EMS – have since been echoed in a scathing audit and the investigation into Joe Massa's death. These revelations compelled the Broadleys to share their story and call for Finn's death to be re-investigated 'without the involvement of Healthscope'. 'I don't want to make a woman who's already anxious about her pregnancy feel more anxious,' Helen said. 'But, to us, it feels like there were some real failings in the care we received.' A spokesperson for Northern Sydney Local Health District said they had provided ongoing support to Dan and Helen since the loss of baby Finn. They said all 12 recommendations had been implemented, and Healthscope was required to submit regular quality improvement plans for maternity services. But the government could not control the IT systems Healthscope chose to use, they said. On Monday, state parliament will debate a bill seeking to legislate an end to the public-private partnership with Healthscope. Asked if he would support another investigation, Health Minister Ryan Park said it would be inappropriate to 'duplicate or circumvent' the original report or a review under way by the Health Care Complaints Commission. 'My deepest sympathies are with the Broadley family for this unimaginable tragedy,' he said.
The Age
6 days ago
- The Age
Starting school should be a happy milestone. For this family, it's a reminder of tragedy
'We were told a lot of it was because [the hospital] had just opened, but five years on, those problems still appear to be going on,' Helen said. Now, they are telling their story for the first time, hoping to have their son's death re-investigated and ensure the hospital learns from mistakes made under Healthscope as it moves into public hands. 'Life or death' Asher and Finn were monochorionic diamniotic identical twins, meaning they shared a placenta but each had their own sac. The Broadleys knew the pregnancy was high-risk. They were diligent, easing their parental anxieties by counting fetal kicks and regular visits to specialists. They wanted to manage the pregnancy through Royal North Shore, wary about a string of highly publicised mishaps at Northern Beaches in its first year. But they were assured the hospital could care for high-risk pregnancies and, despite never seeing the same obstetrician twice, the first 30 weeks went relatively smoothly. Then, one Sunday evening, the twins went quiet. They were moving less, their kicks were softer. The hospital's birthing unit told them to come in for precautionary checks. Busy midwives struggled to detect their heart rates and, at one stage, gave the monitor to Dan while they saw other patients. 'I'm a graphic designer, I'm not a doctor. It just seemed bizarre,' he said. Helen was kept overnight for monitoring, but medical records show the twins' vitals were not monitored from 11pm until 8.30am. When midwives conducted morning observations, they discovered one twin had an abnormal heart rate. The investigation found this should have triggered a 'rapid response' escalation under the hospital's own protocols. Instead, a specialist doctor didn't assess the twins until 9:30am, when an obstetrics consultant told Helen it was a 'life and death situation' and called for an emergency caesarean. What had been a calm Monday morning descended into a blur. People rushed to Helen's bedside – shouting, pulling her clothes off, sticking needles in her arm. She had only just told Dan to go into work, but now she was given her phone to tell him they were going to deliver their twins. 'We were told a lot of it was because it [the hospital] had just opened, but five years on, those problems still appear to be going on.' Helen Broadley When Dan arrived at the hospital half an hour later, the twins had been delivered. Neither were breathing. Reunited in the recovery room, Dan and Helen were told they had lost Finn, and Asher had been rushed to Royal North Shore in a critical condition. They were left holding Finn, unable to fathom what had just happened as they watched cars pass on the highway below. Life after Healthscope Several findings from the root cause analysis – including that staff had developed 'work around' methods to document and locate key information on the EMS – have since been echoed in a scathing audit and the investigation into Joe Massa's death. These revelations compelled the Broadleys to share their story and call for Finn's death to be re-investigated 'without the involvement of Healthscope'. 'I don't want to make a woman who's already anxious about her pregnancy feel more anxious,' Helen said. 'But, to us, it feels like there were some real failings in the care we received.' A spokesperson for Northern Sydney Local Health District said they had provided ongoing support to Dan and Helen since the loss of baby Finn. They said all 12 recommendations had been implemented, and Healthscope was required to submit regular quality improvement plans for maternity services. But the government could not control the IT systems Healthscope chose to use, they said. On Monday, state parliament will debate a bill seeking to legislate an end to the public-private partnership with Healthscope. Asked if he would support another investigation, Health Minister Ryan Park said it would be inappropriate to 'duplicate or circumvent' the original report or a review under way by the Health Care Complaints Commission. 'My deepest sympathies are with the Broadley family for this unimaginable tragedy,' he said.
News.com.au
19-06-2025
- News.com.au
NSW government seeking power to terminate Northern Beaches Hospital contract
The NSW government will have power to terminate the operating contract of the embattled Northern Beaches Hospital as if a default had occurred under proposed legislative amendments, following the tragic deaths of two children. Two-year-old Joe Massa and newborn Harper Atkinson both died at the Sydney hospital in unrelated incidents since September, leading the government to ban any future public-private partnerships (PPPs) for acute care hospitals. The state government will next week introduce amendments to a bill by Wakehurst MP Michael Regan, which would allow the government, if required, to terminate the contract of operator Healthscope as if a default had occurred. It comes after receivers were appointed to Healthscope's parent entities – which the NSW government considers a default – with the bill giving Health Minister Ryan Park power to issue a termination notice if an agreement is not reached. Treasurer Daniel Moohkey would also be empowered to ensure that compensation negotiations occur in a 'reasonable time frame' and that an independent person would be appointed to determine compensation if an agreement is not reached. Mr Moohkey said the decision was not taken lightly. 'We are now in a position where the Liberal's privatisation mess means Healthscope's receivers are negotiating the future of the Northern Beaches Hospital,' he said. 'While an agreed exit from this failed PPP contract remains my preference – I must ensure the government has the right to step in and protect the Northern Beaches community from this dragging on.' Mr Park said the state government had 'made it clear from the very beginning that we don't support this sort of arrangement. 'This is a complex contract but the community deserves certainty. 'The other mob may have created this mess, but we are going to be the ones to clean it up.' Healthscope is the country's second-largest hospital operator, with a network of 37 hospitals across Australia. Thousands of staff and patients were left in limbo last month after Canada-based Brookfield Asset Management offered to hand control of the company to lenders. Despite an $100m funding lifeline by Commonwealth Bank and Westpac last month amid the search for a new owner, Healthscope's future remains in doubt. Earlier that month, Wakehurst MP Michael Regan introduced a private members bill to ensure no compensation would be payable on behalf of the state if the contract for the Northern Beaches Hospital was voluntarily terminated. With trilateral talks ongoing between Healthscope, its receivers, and the Northern Beaches Hospital Taskforce, the state government remained hopeful of a productive outcome, but reserved the right to commit to a voluntary termination. At the time of the receivership, Healthscope CEO Tino La Spina said the hospital network would 'continue to operate as normal' and that the appointment of receivers 'ensures a stable path to a sale, with no impacts on any hospitals, staff or patients' 'There is no interruption to the outstanding care we provide,' she said. 'The receivers and management share the same goal of maintaining our market leading standards of patient care and protecting the business, the hospitals and our amazing people.'
