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February 10, 2026 — 10:57am
An independent review into services at the Toowoomba Hospital’s beleaguered maternity unit has been ordered by the state health minister following claims by mothers and families of obstetric violence and coercion.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the review, commissioned by the state’s director-general and conducted by an expert panel, would investigate issues at the Toowoomba Hospital’s maternity unit as far back as 2018.
The panel – a clinician, maternity consumer representative and a medico-legal expert – will also be tasked with investigating recent complaints, including a first-time mother’s claims of obstetric violence.
The woman, who spoke to media after giving birth to her son at the hospital in November, said she was coerced into a vaginal exam while in labour, and alleged clinicians continued to painfully internally examine her despite her pleas for them to stop.
In another recent case, a baby suffered brain damage following a rare placental abruption, with the mother telling media that staff did not listen to her claims she was in unbearable pain.
Earlier this month, the hospital announced a “midwife guide” to offer additional support for women, including advice on complaints and services.
Nicholls said the appointment would provide a pathway for patients to raise issues and concerns outside the formalised complaint process, “which can be daunting and for some people frustrating”.
Since 2018, a number of reviews and reports into the hospital’s maternity unit have been conducted, including about maternity services and workplace culture.
A spokesperson for Nicholls said the panel would have “full oversight over those previous reviews and will assess whether appropriate actions have been taken to date”.
“They will review the work and improvements undertaken by Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service to date … [and] will engage with patients to enable the voices of mothers and their families are heard and to ensure Toowoomba Hospital has in place accessible and appropriate processes for patient complaints.”
The panellists will be given three months to investigate and report back to Queensland Health Director-General Dr David Rosengren.
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