170414. Photo Diego Opatowski / RNZ. Christchurch Women's Hospital main entry. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora says it has it has made improvements after a baby died from a catastrophic brain injury after his head got stuck during labour.
A Health and Disability Commission investigation found the baby should have been delivered hours earlier by caesarean section.
Health NZ Canterbury chief medical officer Dr Richard French said the organisation accepts the findings.
"We acknowledge that the services provided fell short of the standards of care and skill required under Right 4(1) of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights.
"Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora has apologised to the family involved for shortcomings in the standard of care provided and I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family for their tragic loss."
Deputy commissioner Rose Wall has criticised Christchurch Women's Hospital for serious failures in care during the mother's prolonged labour after she was induced, including a lack of assessment, failure to call for back-up, delays in making the decision to do a C-section and then the delay to carry it out.
French said all recommendations have been either implemented or resolved.
"For example, we have improved our system to communicate the need to access additional operating theatre capacity and our ability to provide back-up medical staff at times of high complexity and need. I am very sorry that these improvements in our system were not in place at the time of the baby's birth."
Health NZ continues to advocate for improvements in how it provides maternity and obstetric care in Waitaha Canterbury, he said.
"While our staff's experience in no way compares to that of the baby's family, we would like the family to know that all the staff involved in the mother and baby's care have shared that what happened has and will have a lifelong impact on them both personally and professionally."
