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Published
by Progress Educational Trust, http://www.progress.org.uk)
St
George's Hospital in London has become the latest hospital to be exposed over
procedural errors in the provision of IVF treatments. It has been revealed that
the wrong embryos were transplanted into the wombs of three women undergoing IVF
at one of the hospital's clinics.
The
error, which happened in April at the Diana, Princess of Wales Centre for
Reproductive Medicine, involved three women. The first of these had only her
'poorer quality' embryos transferred into her womb, while her 'best quality'
embryos were accidentally transferred to a second woman. The second woman's
embryos were then
implanted
into a third woman.
Doctors
at the clinic realised the mistake soon after it had happened and the two women
with unrelated embryos were recalled to the unit to undergo procedures to
prevent the embryos implanting in their wombs. The error was reported to the
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), a government body charged
with regulating and licensing the providers of fertility treatments.
Last
week, it was reported that the head of the unit, Dr Geeta Nargund, had been
suspended. Her supporters claim that her suspension is linked to her decision to
report the three-way embryo mix-up to the HFEA and because she was outspoken
about the management. But the hospital refuses to say why she was suspended.
Since the mix-up, the IVF unit has closed, apparently due to 'financial reasons'
and difficulties in recruiting the necessary numbers of experienced staff. St
George's is proposing to ensure continuity for the patients
by
transferring them to a specialist unit at King's College Hospital.
No
action has been taken against the two doctors responsible for the mix-up.
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