A GP on trial for manslaughter arrived at a home birth without her medical bag and was talked through CPR by a triple zero operator, a court has heard

A GP charged with manslaughter arrived at a home birth without her doctor's bag and was talked through CPR by a triple zero operator, a Brisbane jury has been told.

Robyn Mary James, 67, has pleaded not guilty over the death of Vicki Butler, 41, who died on December 27, 2017, the day she gave birth at her home in Ipswich, west of Brisbane.

James arrived at the house about 5am without the bag holding her stethoscope and blood pressure monitor, the Supreme Court was told on Tuesday.

“She had nothing,” crown prosecutor Greg Cummings said.

He told the jury of 10 women and four men they would hear a triple zero call running almost eight minutes.

“A large portion of the triple zero call is devoted to giving detailed instructions to Dr James in performing CPR,” Mr Cummings said.

Ms Butler called James at 3am to say her waters had broken and that something felt wrong, jurors were told.

Photographs recovered from her phone show she gave birth between 3.22am and 4.07am.

When James arrived, mother and baby both appeared to be doing well. Ms Butler later deteriorated.

The prosecution alleges she suffered a postpartum haemorrhage between the doctor's arrival and 6.42am, when James called an ambulance.

The court was told that while James was making that call, Ms Butler yelled at her from the bathroom not to, saying she did not want to go to hospital.

Paramedics arrived at 6.50am. Ms Butler was clammy, not breathing and had a faint pulse.

She was taken to Ipswich General Hospital, where doctors spent the day trying to revive her and transfused 23 units of blood.

She was pronounced dead at 6.15pm.

The jury heard Ms Butler was at high risk of postpartum haemorrhage because of her age and the number of pregnancies she had had, and chose to deliver at home.

The child survived.

The prosecution alleges James was criminally negligent in her delay in seeking emergency assistance.

It further alleges she breached her duty of care by failing to recognise the symptoms of postpartum haemorrhage and failing to understand what those symptoms could lead to.

Two of those hours are the case. Ms Butler had given birth by about 4am and a doctor was in the house by 5am. The ambulance was not called until 6.42am.

What happened in between is what the jury has to decide.

The trial, before Justice Elizabeth Watson, continues.