IVF accident was 'waiting to happen'

Published on Sunday 14 June 2009 21:59

THE solicitor representing an IVF couple whose last embryo was implanted in another woman by mistake said it was "an accident waiting to happen".

The couple had been trying for a second child with their only remaining embryo when the IVF clinic discovered the error. The woman wrongly implanted chose to have a termination.

The Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust has apologised for the blunder and paid the couple an undisclosed sum.

Their solicitor, Guy Forster, said there had been two previous near misses at the Wales clinic in Cardiff the year before.

The couple, named by Mr Forster only as Deborah and Paul, attended the clinic on 5 December, 2007, for their final embryo to be transplanted.

While they were waiting they were told a trainee embryologist had mixed up their embryo after taking it from the wrong shelf of the incubator.

Deborah, a 38-year-old hospital worker, said: "In less than 10 seconds our wonderful world was shattered when the senior embryologist stood in front of us and said, 'I'm very sorry to tell you, but there's been an accident in the lab. Your embryo has been destroyed'."