Father Rejects Coroner's Findings on Son's Death at Mackay Base Hospital

Hugo McGregor died five days after birth in 2023; inquest found no missed opportunities

By LineZotpaper

Published25 September 2026

Read Time2 min

The grieving father of a five-day-old boy who died in 2023 has rejected a Queensland coronial inquest's conclusion that the death was not preventable, vowing to apply to have the findings set aside and calling for greater transparency in maternity care.

Andre McGregor, whose son Hugo was born by emergency caesarean section at Mackay Base Hospital in March 2023 and died five days later at Townsville University Hospital, said he was "deeply disappointed" by the inquest's outcome.

Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher handed down her findings on Wednesday, concluding that the care provided to both Hugo's mother Jenna and the baby was "reasonable and appropriate" and that there were "no prospective reasons to warrant an earlier delivery or any additional intervention".

Mr McGregor, in a statement provided to the ABC, said an earlier hospital and health service internal review had identified dozens of failures, yet none were mentioned during the inquest. "My son died following a series of events in a Queensland public hospital. A Root Cause Analysis subsequently identified dozens of failures. Yet not one of these were mentioned during the inquest," he said.

Magistrate Gallagher accepted that the hospital had made changes since Hugo's death, including embedding obstetric ward rounds and improving staff culture. She said expert witnesses had not raised the internal review issues as relevant to Hugo's death and that no further recommendations were warranted.

The cause of death was listed as hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy caused by a sudden and profound onset of bradycardia (slow heart rate). An obstetrics expert told the inquest that Hugo developed metabolic acidosis, leading to a sudden "crash" in his heart rate. An autopsy also showed signs of infection and inflammation in the placenta.

Mr McGregor said he would apply to the state coroner to set aside the findings and expressed disappointment that his wife was not called as a witness. "As his father, I am entitled to ask why so many of those failures appear to have had so little impact on the ultimate findings," his statement said.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The case highlights ongoing concerns about the quality and transparency of maternity care in Queensland public hospitals.
The coroner's findings and the family's rejection could fuel public debate and pressure for systemic reforms.
The father's application to the state coroner may lead to a review of the inquest process itself.

Background

The inquest into Hugo McGregor's death was held in Townsville in 2025 after his parents raised concerns about his care before birth. The McGregors argued that hospital staff should have been more concerned about the lack of labour progress and considered an earlier caesarean. Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher presided over the inquest and delivered her findings in September 2026. Such inquests are conducted to examine the circumstances of a death and whether lessons can be learned to prevent future tragedies.

Key Perspectives

The McGregor family: They believe the inquest ignored significant failures identified by an earlier internal review. Andre McGregor says there needs to be "greater transparency and safer maternity care" and will seek to have the coroner's findings set aside. The Coroner: Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher found no missed opportunities that could have changed the outcome. She accepted that expert evidence did not support a need for earlier intervention and that the hospital's post-incident changes were appropriate. Mackay Base Hospital: The hospital has implemented changes including embedding obstetric ward rounds and improvements to staff culture, which the coroner said were appropriate. The hospital's internal review identified “dozens of failures”, but the coroner accepted those were not relevant to the cause of death.

What to Watch

Andre McGregor's application to the state coroner to set aside the findings.
Whether a higher coronial body reopens the case or orders further investigation.
Potential impacts on Queensland maternity care policies and patient safety transparency.

Sources

Father rejects coroner's conclusion on newborn son's death — Just In