A compensation lawyer says there are a "disproportionate" number of women from Wollongong seeking legal advice about birth trauma , with one in five of his medical negligence clients related to the issue. Subscribe now for unlimited access . Login or signup to continue reading Adam Clements, who moved his practice to Wollongong a couple of years ago and now works for Kate Williams Medical Law Specialists, had a number of clients who lodged submissions during the recent NSW inquiry into the issue .
"[Women from Wollongong] ended up being a disproportionate percentage of my client base," he said. "Birth trauma for my clients generally involves some form of physical injury, either the lower grade tears ..
. all the way up to the [worst categories], and then the consequences of those if they are perhaps missed or misdiagnosed all the way through to bladder and bowel incontinence problems. "It can be surgical complications arising from caesarean sections, post operative infections, and then psychiatric consequences, which are secondary either to those physical problems which have occurred, or because of the way in which their pregnancy was managed.
" Keen to see change in the health system to reduce trauma, Mr Clements said he had carefully reviewed the recommendations made by the inquiry and would be watching closely as the government responds. "I think the next big phase of advocacy on the issue is going to be based on the government's response," he said. "If there's a positive go.