Recently, an independent investigation led by Victoria senior barrister Fiona McLeod reviewed two embryo mix-up incidents at Monash IVF clinics in Brisbane and Clayton, Melbourne. The association decided not to publicly release the investigation report in order to protect patient privacy.
Both incidents were caused by “human error.” In Brisbane, a patient was implanted with another person’s embryo and gave birth to a child who was not genetically theirs. At the Clayton clinic in Melbourne, another patient was implanted with her own embryo rather than her partner’s, clearly deviating from the treatment plan. Reports indicate that these mistakes occurred due to “non-standard” operational procedures and flaws in the existing IT systems.
Monash IVF has apologized to the affected families and pledged to gradually implement the recommendations from the investigation along with additional safety measures. Acting CEO Malik Jainudeen stated that all measures are being enforced to prevent similar incidents in the future.