A couple who underwent fertility treatment have spoken of their devastation at their last embryo being accidentally implanted in another woman. The couple said they had been excited about trying for a second child with their only remaining embryo when the IVF Wales clinic, in Cardiff, admitted the mistake.
The Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust has apologised to the pair, from south Wales, and said changes have been made in a bid to prevent such a mistake happening again.
A heavy staff workload is understood to have been a factor in the human error being made.
The woman, a 38-year-old hospital worker, said nine embryos were created using IVF in 2000 and she gave birth to a son three years later.
The remaining embryos were stored until 2007 when she and her husband, a 40-year-old printing plant manager, decided to try for a second child. One of the embryos had survived and they travelled to the clinic for treatment only to be told the devastating news.
"In less than ten 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'," the woman told the Mail on Sunday.
"We were both rooted to our seats. We were stunned and trembling. We held each other tightly, and sobbed and sobbed. It was like water from a tap. I kept thinking, "They've killed our baby! Killed our baby!"
She said it was not until later they discovered the embryo had been implanted in another woman who elected to have a termination when she found out what had happened.
The Trust has admitted liability and the couple have been paid an undisclosed sum of money. Ian Lane, the Trust's Medical Director, said: "We apologise unreservedly for this mistake."
