A midwife has failed to win her job back after she was fired for alerting a father that his estranged partner had given birth to his child.
The midwife, who had an “exemplary” employment record was dismissed from her position at Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide after she sent a Facebook message in February 2016 to a friend of hers telling his that his former partner gave birth, Nine News reports.
Her actions caused the mother, known only as Ms H, to be fearful for her and her child’s safety due to the man’s “past history of aggressive behaviour in their relationship”.
After learning of the midwife’s actions a formal investigation was launched by South Australian health chiefs, leading to her dismissal, according to Nine News.
The midwife, who had more than six years’ experience, appealed the decision at the South Australian Industrial Relations Commission, whose deputy president Karen Bartel denied her appeal last month.
Admitting that she should not have told the father of the child, the midwife wrote a letter deeply regretting her actions.
“I was excited. It wasn’t to do with telling him where Ms H was or to break her confidence. I just didn’t think that,” she wrote.
Listen: This mother did not want to broadcast her child’s birth, but The Young Mummy snap-chatted her labour.
The message she had sent to the father, known as Mr A, described the baby as “f—king huge” and included the date and time of birth and the weight of the infant.
The midwife, described as “competent, caring and professional”, had found the information when checking the hospital’s birth register which was part of her job.
When the mother returned to the hospital a few weeks later, she was concerned about her former partner locating the child, The Adelaide Advertiser reports.
“Ms H told (staff) that she was worried that her ex-partner would find out that the baby was in (the hospital ward) because of a past history of aggressive behaviour in their relationship and that she was fearful for her baby’s safety,” Ms Bartel found.
Ms Bartel said the midwife could no longer work in public hospitals, and that message had caused the baby’s mother distress and had the potential to threaten the security of Ms H and her baby.
Top Comments
I hate those who enable abusive partners. This midwife has obviously been sucked in by a fake "nice guy" façade and he got her to do his bidding, spy on his ex and torment her in a time of vulnerability. Enablers often believe that the abuser is the victim and that the victim is being harsh or unfair.
I was thinking simmilar, midwife knew the couple, couple have since split and midwife has taken his side.
So while you're all baying for blood, put the Hobnail boots on some other feet and swap places, be the one who did the telling and then ask, well, was it worth YOUR job?
What are you talking about? If you mean "would it be worth losing your own job to breach confidentiality" then very obviously the answer is no....so I don't understand your point. Do you think the midwife does think it's worth it??
Breaking the law and disclosing confidential patient information to other people? I would bet this midwife would say that it wasn't worth losing her job and wishes she could have her time again and not do it. I don't get what your point is?
It would not be worth the job to divulge confidential medical information to anyone, least of all an abusive ex. What could she have possibly gained from doing so?
Pull your head in.