A doctor who helped in a homebirth where a mother died has been committed to stand trial charged with manslaughter. Dr Robyn Mary James, who is yet to enter a plea on the charge, appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court for a committal hearing on Thursday. It's alleged she failed in the "duty imposed on her" as a doctor, which was alleged to have killed 41-year-old Vicki Butler.
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00:0041-year-old Vicki Butler died after giving birth at her home to her sixth child in December
00:092017.
00:10Dr. Robin James, who attended Ms. Butler after the baby had been born, has been charged with
00:15manslaughter.
00:17The Ipswich Magistrates Court heard today Dr. James was called to Ms. Butler's home
00:21at about 3am, arriving two hours later, around an hour after the baby had been born.
00:28And that triple zero wasn't called for another hour and 40 minutes.
00:32Obstetrician Dr. Douglas Keeping has reviewed the case for authorities.
00:36He told the court she was dead when the ambulance arrived.
00:40When they got there, there was no pulse.
00:42She's lost almost all of her blood.
00:45Another forensic expert told the court that, according to statements from paramedics, Ms.
00:49Butler phoned her friend to say she was experiencing excessive bleeding following the unassisted
00:55birth.
00:56Ms. Butler was rushed to the Ipswich Hospital, where she received 28 units of blood, but
01:01ultimately died, allegedly from a postpartum hemorrhage caused by the placenta not fully
01:07detaching.
01:08The court heard there were differences in opinion from medical experts over how long
01:14the hemorrhaging would have been noticeable, a point reiterated by Defence Barrister Craig
01:20Eberhardt.
01:21But ultimately, Magistrate Robert Walker decided there was enough evidence to commit the
01:26case to trial in the Supreme Court.
01:28Dr. James is yet to enter a plea and remains on bail.
01:32She is currently unable to practice as a doctor in Australia.