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Obstetric Medico-Legal Conference

Facilitating constructive discussion and debate around the legal, ethical and medical issues surrounding conception, pregnancy and birth

16-17 September 2024 | Crown Conference Centre Melbourne

BUY A PASS Register Your Interest Download Brochure Genomic Testing Forum

Early Bird expires on 7 August 2024 // See Pricing Below

overview

The 16th Annual Obstetric Medico-Legal Conference will continue to bring together legal and medical professionals to discuss and explore the legal issues related to maternal and infant care. The conference will cover a range of topics including birth injuries and medical errors in prenatal or postnatal care.

The event provides a unique platform for legal and medical experts to share their knowledge and experiences, discuss emerging trends and best practices, and network with colleagues from across the industry. Attendees also have the opportunity to participate in interactive sessions designed to enhance their understanding of the legal and medical aspects of obstetrics care.

Every year, the event grows and receives excellent feedback from our delegates, and it has become a “must-attend” for legal and medical professionals involved in obstetrics care and those interested in improving the quality and safety of maternal and infant care.

KEY TOPICS INCLUDE

  • Medicine Shortages in Obstetrics’
  • First line treatment for Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy at birth and its efficacy
  • Patient safety and Practitioner risk in the online era
  • Emerging legal issues in midwifery practice
  • How to mitigate liability against a patient who refuses treatment or is aggressive
  • The influence of Artificial Intelligence on obstetrics – who bears liability?
  • Birth Trauma Parliamentary Inquiry
  • How to navigate the balance between informed consent and the duty to act in the best interest of the patient
  • The role of consent in posthumous reproduction, the ethical and legal considerations
  • Home births in Australia: Insights from medico-legal cases, highlighting common challenges, outcomes, and lessons learned?

Speakers

Professor Steve Robson

President, Australian Medical Association

Tom Ballantyne

Principal Lawyer, Maurice Blackburn

Ian Murray

Principal Solicitor, Blumers

Emily Hart

Personal injuries law and medical negligence specialist

Alice Tuson

Registered Midwife

Dr Nisha Khot

Vice President & Board Member, RANZCOG; Clinical Director of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Peninsula Health

Bill Madden

Special Counsel, Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers, Adjunct Professor, Australian Centre for Health Law Research

Dr Amelia Bock

Director of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Northeast Health Wangaratta

Kate Betts

Partner, Corrs Chambers Westgarth

Dr Vijay Roach

Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Past President, RANZCOG

Kate Waterford

Partner, Maliganis Edwards Johnson

Dr Amber Moore

Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, St Vincent’s Private Hospital and Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne

Dr Jenny Dowd

MD, FRANZCOG, Founding Member, Women’s Obstetric & Gynaecology Specialists

Eliza Faulk

Partner, Makinson d'Apice Lawyer

Adam Clements

Lawyer, Kate Williams Medical Law Specialists

Ruanne Brell

Senior legal advisor, Advocacy, Education and Research, Avant

Karen McClay

Registered Midwife & Director, Calmbirth

Dr Kate Levett

Senior Research Fellow, University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney School of Medicine

Professor Tina Cockburn

Director, Australian Centre for Health Law Research

Samuel Wolfhagen

Solicitor, Maliganis Edwards Johnson

Justine Anderson

Senior Associate, Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers

Dr John Short

Obstetrician and Gynaecologist

Fiona Reid

Member, RN/ BaMid/MaMid/ Endorsed (Credentialled) Midwife, Waminda Senior Clinical Manager, Birthing on Country, Clinical Advisory Committee, ABTA, Consumer Group Midwifery Clinical Consultant, Better Births Illawarra

Christian Wright

Nurse & Midwife, Maternal Health Researcher and Educator, Member, Clinical Council NT PHN & Advisory Panel, Australasian Birth Trauma Association

Amanda Seguna

Special Counsel, Lander & Rogers

Julie Shooter

Special Counsel, Lander & Rogers

Agenda

8:30 am

Registration & Morning Coffee

9:05 am

Opening remarks from the Chair

9:10 am

OPENING KEYNOTE | Medicine Shortages in Obstetrics’

Dr Nisha Khot, Vice President & Board Member, RANZCOG; Clinical Director of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Peninsula Health

9:40 am

Mental harm related to pregnancy and birth

Bill Madden, Special Counsel, Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers, Adjunct Professor, Australian Centre for Health Law Research

Professor Tina Cockburn, Director, Australian Centre for Health Law Research

10:15 am

PANEL | A view from the Delivery Suite - what the lawyer didn’t see.

Dr Amelia Bock, Director of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Northeast Health Wangaratta

Kate Betts, Partner, Corrs Chambers Westgarth

Moderated by: Dr Vijay Roach, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Past President, RANZCOG

11:00 am

Networking Break & Morning Tea

11:30 am

  • The influence of internet and social media on patient decision making
  • How the Courts have responded to this issue
  • Risks for practitioners and how to manage them

12:00 pm

CASE STUDY | First line treatment for Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy at birth and its efficacy

Ian Murray, Principal Solicitor, Blumers

Emily Hart, Personal injuries law and medical negligence specialist

12:30 pm

Networking Lunch

1:30 pm

  • Transgender 101: exploration of the different needs of transgender patients; and common barriers and forms of discrimination and misinformation in healthcare
  • Transgender obstetric care, including interaction between pregnancies, hormone therapies, fertilities and dysphoria
  • Legal considerations for lawyers and doctors, including areas of potential harm and risk, with discussion of evolving best practices

 

2:00 pm

Insights from medico-legal cases, highlighting common challenges, outcomes, and lessons learned?

2:30 pm

Networking Break & Afternoon Tea

3:00 pm

  • How health care workers’ rights against patients.
  • Duty to treat (at what stage can doctors and midwives withdraw treatment from reluctant or hostile patients)
  • How to mitigate liability against a patient who refuses treatment or is aggressive.
  • Workplace rights of healthcare workers and potential actions against hospitals.
  • Psychological damage to healthcare workers due to being a ’secondary victim’ of patients’ birth plans
  • Rights of healthcare workers to claim damages against hospitals for psychological or physical damage as a result of hostile patient interactions.
  • Effects on other patients when demanding patients divert workforce to themselves, leaving other patients with less attention.

3:40 pm

  • Is there a governmental or regulatory body that oversee childbirth education programs in Australia? Or required certification?
  • How can lack of governance raise legal concerns?
  • Can expectant parents claim malpractice or lawsuits against educators or organisations for misinformation?
  • How does this affect informed consent and risk management?
  • Discuss the Birth Trauma Inquiry Report Recommendation 14 in relation to antenatal education.

4:30 pm

Closing Remarks from the Chair

4:35 pm

End of Day 1 & Networking Drinks

8:30 am

Registration & Morning Coffee

9:05 am

Opening remarks from the Chair

Kate Waterford, Partner, Maliganis Edwards Johnson

9:10 am

  • Artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to be employed extensively in pregnancy and birth care.
  • The use of AI to assist with areas such as fetal imaging, fetal wellbeing assessment, and intrapartum management will have profound effects on pregnancy care.
  • When the use of AI decision support leads to adverse outcomes, who will bear responsibility – clinicians or those who developed the AI tools?

9:40 am

This will be a summary of 10 years’ experience of advice given to the NZ health and disability commissioner (HDC) on complaints regarding care in obstetrics and gynaecology. Common themes and key learning points will be highlighted.

10:10 am

Birth Trauma Parliamentary Inquiry

Adam Clements, Lawyer, Kate Williams Medical Law Specialists

10:40 am

Networking Break & Morning Tea

11:10 am

  • Managing expectations and the role of communication
  • Open disclosure and the Statutory Duty of Candour
  • How to help prevent escalation

11:40 am

A Regulatory Update - Recent Developments for Practitioners

Amanda Seguna, Special Counsel, Lander & Rogers

Julie Shooter, Special Counsel, Lander & Rogers

12:10 pm

  • How to navigate the balance between informed consent and the duty to act in the best interest of the patient, especially if a fetus is at risk and a patient declines intervention?
  • What to do when families come in with rigid birth plans that don’t follow accepted practice or withdraw consent at the last minute?
  • Can cultural and linguistic barriers impact the informed consent process, how can we address these challenges?
  • How can the risks and benefits of obstetric interventions be effectively communicated?

1:00 pm

Networking Lunch

2:30 pm

  • Insights from recent obstetric medico-legal cases, discuss primary factors that led to the legal proceedings?
  • Any upcoming policy changes that will impact practitioners?
  • How can obstetricians, midwives, and legal professionals collaborate?

3:15 pm

Closing Remarks from the Chair & End of Conference

Pricing

Packages Price
Package(Two Days)$2795$2395+GST Early Bird Rate Early Bird Rate
1 Day Genomic Testing Forum (run concurrently)$1495$1095+GST Early Bird Rate Early Bird Rate
Virtual Pass$2495$2095+GST Early Bird Rate Early Bird Rate
Virtual Pass - 1 Day Genomic Testing Forum$1395$995+GST Early Bird Rate Early Bird Rate
Extras Price
Workshop $495+GST
Dinner $200+GST
Streamly Access Pass $150+GST
Packages Price
Package(Two Days)$1995$1595+GST Early Bird Rate Early Bird Rate
Virtual Pass$1795$1395+GST Early Bird Rate Early Bird Rate
Extras Price
Workshop $495+GST
Dinner $200+GST
Streamly Access Pass $150+GST
  • Early bird expires on 7 August 2024

Genomic Testing Forum

The Genomic Testing Forum will be held concurrently with the Obstetric Medico Legal Congress on the 16th September this year providing a unique opportunity to meet two distinct, but related audience groups.

In Australia, genomic testing is experiencing a significant upward trend, with healthcare providers increasingly incorporating genetic analysis into diagnostic and treatment protocols to deliver more personalized and effective patient care. Given the recent introduction of new rebates for essential carrier screening tests, Australia looks set for significant growth in genomic testing – particularly in reproductive genetic carrier screening.

This is an enormously exciting growth space however, there are key considerations that stakeholders should be aware of.

This forum will explore where we are at with genetic testing in Australia and unpack:

  • What the new opportunities are
  • The quality of the tests
  • Are we ready for the influx of these tests and what will happen?
  • What are the risk profiles?
  • Concerns with insurance discrimination
  • Where the opportunities are for improvement?
  • What are the available indemnity options for clinical practice through to clinical trials?

View Genomic Testing Forum Website

Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities

Don’t miss this opportunity to get involved in the Obstetric Medico Legal Conference! Showcase thought leadership in the program or explore our brand opportunites associated with the event, get in touch today to learn more!

There are many opportunities for networking including social events such as networking drinks, lunch and refreshments breaks making this not just a conference… but an all-encompassing industry experience.

Sponsorship or exhibiting will allow your organization to:

  • Build relationships with potential and existing clients
  • Generate leads from a high-level, targeted audience
  • Close sales in a more personal manner than via phone
  • Demonstrate your product in person
  • Network with the industry
  • Build brand awareness

To see what is on offer please contact:

Danielle Newman
Senior Business Development Manager
E: danielle.newman@informa.com
T: +61 (2) 9080 4318

Conference Affiliates

Supporting Partner

Insights

The appropriate way for doctors to handle surrogacy births – insights from a surrogate mother and lawyer
The world of surrogacy is often a foreign one to health professionals, with many clinicians feeling as though they are in treading in a legal quagmire when handling the care of surrogate mothers. Read more >>


Why all clinicians need to learn trauma-informed care
Clinicians have long known that women who misuse drugs and alcohol, experience domestic violence, or have a history of trauma, are considered ‘vulnerable’ along the child-bearing continuum, but a striking proportion have not yet received training on how to care for this patient cohort. Read more >>


How this male midwife is building trust with his patients
Read more >>

Using technology for better obstetric decision making
Read more >>

Increasing maternal awareness of DFM – a suitable stillbirth prevention measure?
Read more >>

Rethinking morbidity and mortality review meetings in maternity care
Read more >>

Perinatal mortality cases – what can we do better?
Read more >>

ConnectMe + Streamly

ConnectMe • Networking enhanced

All of our events utilise a bespoke dynamic smartphone app, ConnectMe – which guarantees attendees a premium event experience. Logins are sent prior to the conference commencement allowing you to check who’s attending, schedule in meetings and catch ups, participate in live Q+A and interactive polls, and much more. ConnectMe ensures you never miss a beat prior, during and post event.

 

Streamly • On-Demand video vault

Streamly is a new video platform from Informa Connect – hosting hours of session recordings from our events and more. Select the Streamly add-on at the checkout to receive year round access to exclusive On-Demand session recordings from all of our related healthcare events*. Login information will be sent post event.

* Note: In a minority of cases, speakers may request their sessions to be excluded from Streamly access.

Sustainability

Our Commitment to Sustainability

In Australia, we are committed to running our events in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Across Informa Connect we are focusing on the short and long-term sustainability impacts we have on customers and colleagues alongside the communities we work in.

We recognise that it’s not just about the way we produce our events and products but recognising that we have a role to play in providing a space to work in partnership together with our markets to inspire the sustainable development of the industries we serve.

To read more on our latest sustainability reports and Faster Forward initiatives – click here.

when & where

16 - 17 Sep 2024

Crown Conference Hall
Level 2
Crown Promenade Melbourne
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank VIC 3006
(Queensbridge St end of the Crown Complex)
+61 (03) 9292 6222


SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION RATE

We have secured a special accommodation rate from $255* per room per night, room only, for conference attendees at the Crown Promenade for the nights of the 15-16 September 2024 inclusive.

To book this rate, click here.

* Room availability and rates are subject to availability and valid until 7 days prior to the event, unless sold out prior.
Book early to avoid disappointment.

contact

Still have a question?

General Information & Registration
Customer Service
+61 2 9080 4307
info@informa.com.au

Speaking Enquiries
Irene Amo
+61 415038730
Irene.Amo@informa.com

Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
Danielle Newman
+61 2 9080 4318
Danielle.Newman@informa.com

Marketing & Media Enquiries
Libbie Sinclair
Libbie.Sinclair@informa.com

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