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Monash IVF reveals second embryo mix-up after admitting to major accident just months earlier

Monash IVF reveals second embryo mix-up after admitting to major accident just months earlier

Sky News AU19 hours ago

Monash IVF has mistakenly transferred the wrong embryo into a patient in the second major incident for the company in about two months.
On June 5 the Clayton fertility clinic, in Melbourne's south-east, accidentally put a patient's own embryo into a patient rather than an embryo from their partner as planned.
"Monash IVF has extended its sincere apologies to the affected couple, and we continue to support them," the company said in a statement on the ASX on Tuesday.
The company said it is conducting an internal investigation into the incident as it comes just months after it admitted one of its patients had given birth to a stranger's child in a shocking embryo mix-up that made headlines across the country.
"Commencing immediately, Monash IVF will implement interim additional verification processes and patient confirmation safeguards over and above normal practice and electronic witness systems, to ensure patients and clinicians have every confidence in its processes," Monash IVF said.
"Whilst industry leading electronic witness systems have and are being rolled out across Monash IVF, there remains instances and circumstances whereby manual witnessing is required.
"Monash IVF has disclosed the incident to the relevant assisted reproductive technology (ART) regulators, namely the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee certifying body and Victorian Health Regulator."
The company's share price has sunk more than 21 per cent, down to 59 cents, on Tuesday morning after revealing the news.
More to come.

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‘Completely unacceptable': Minister lashes Monash IVF after second embryo transfer bungle
‘Completely unacceptable': Minister lashes Monash IVF after second embryo transfer bungle

The Age

time3 hours ago

  • The Age

‘Completely unacceptable': Minister lashes Monash IVF after second embryo transfer bungle

The Melbourne mix-up comes just six weeks after Victoria's Health Regulator renewed the licence of several Monash IVF centres, including its Clayton clinic. Health Minister Health Mary-Anne Thomas slammed Monash IVF and said it was required to fully co-operate with an investigation from the regulator. 'Families should have confidence that the treatment they are receiving is done to the highest standard,' Thomas said. 'It is clear Monash IVF has failed in delivering that – which is completely unacceptable.' Last year, Monash IVF paid $56 million in compensation to settle a class action involving 700 families over a bungled genetic test, which may have cost dozens of families the chance to have children. Loading President of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand Dr Petra Wale moved to reassure the public that Australia's assisted reproductive technology (ART) systems were among the 'safest, most transparent, and tightly regulated in the world'. 'Although the embryo transferred was the patient's own, we acknowledge the emotional toll this has taken and extend our heartfelt sympathies to those involved,' Wale said. 'While these incidents are deeply difficult for those affected, they are exceedingly rare and must be taken seriously, without losing sight of the overwhelming positive contributions made by the sector.' Victoria's 24 licensed ART clinics are required to report all adverse events to Victoria's Health Regulator. But while it details the number of adverse events relating to 'clinical' errors, the regulator does not provide additional details, such as whether incorrect embryos have been transferred. IVF pioneer Professor Gab Kovacs, who was the medical director of Monash IVF before retiring more than a decade ago, said the sheer number of ART procedures taking place made it likely that mix-ups would occur on rare occasions, and it was unlucky that Monash IVF had been involved twice in such a short period. 'It is human error and it will happen again, it's just because Monash IVF is a public company that any adverse incident has to be reported to the exchange, so they become public,' Kovacs said. 'Probably, there are other mix-ups at other clinics that we don't know about. 'It is sad news for everybody, for the patients involved, for the staff who made the mistake, and for the company. Loading 'It is impossible to avoid human error. Unfortunately, while there are humans working things will go wrong.' University of Melbourne Associate Professor Alex Polyakov, who is also the medical director at Genea Fertility Melbourne, said greater transparency was required to limit the chances of errors reoccurring. 'If an incident like this comes into [the] public domain for whatever reason, it would be important for the regulator to provide information to clinics as to the specifics of the incident,' he said. 'We need to know why it happened, how it happened, and how to prevent it from happening in the future. I think that's the role of the regulator.' No.1 Fertility owner and medical director Dr Lynn Burmeister said the latest incident required deeper examination. 'Patients trust that when they are with a clinic, there are watertight procedures in place to protect them,' she said. 'With more than one such incident now identified, it is time for an independent review into how this could have occurred.' Monash IVF's share price began trading on Tuesday at 74 cents, but dropped to 54 cents following disclosure of the Clayton embryo error.

Second IVF bungle admitted by major Australian clinic
Second IVF bungle admitted by major Australian clinic

ABC News

time9 hours ago

  • ABC News

Second IVF bungle admitted by major Australian clinic

Samantha Donovan: First this evening, a major Australian in vitro fertilisation clinic has admitted once again to mistakenly transferring the wrong embryo to a patient. It's the second time in three months that Monash IVF has admitted to making an error. In the earlier incident, a Queensland woman unknowingly gave birth to somebody else's baby. The news has prompted an outcry, with those currently going through IVF calling for better regulation of the sector. Rachel Mealey reports. Rachel Mealey: It seems an unlikely place to admit to a mistake like this, but because Monash IVF is a listed company, it made the announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange. The statement said it had mistakenly implanted the wrong embryo in a patient. Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas says the mistake is unacceptable. Mary-Anne Thomas: So it appears that Monash IVF, which is a private fertility service here in Victoria, has not followed the treatment plan that was agreed with a couple that are receiving treatment from them. Now this is completely unacceptable. Rachel Mealey: Today's admission comes just two months after Monash IVF said it was responsible for a Brisbane woman giving birth to a baby who was genetically unrelated to her. In the latest incident, a patient's own embryo had been implanted instead of one created from her partner's egg. Mary-Anne Thomas says the Victorian Health Regulator will begin an immediate investigation. Mary-Anne Thomas: This will be quite devastating for the couple at the heart of this. I mean, we all know that the IVF journey can be a very long, torturous one. It can be very expensive as well. And to not be respected, not have your treatment plan followed, I can't even really imagine how that couple are feeling right now. But I want them to know that my thoughts are with them. Rachel Mealey: The Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has also flagged more regulation of the IVF sector and says he's put the topic on the agenda for this week's Health Ministers' Meeting. Associate Professor Alex Polyakov is the Medical Director of Genea Fertility and a fertility specialist from the University of Melbourne. Alex Polyakov: I do know that all the labs in Victoria and in Australia in general would have very similar protocols for these things. There are two embryologists identifying all biological samples when they're transferred. We check with the patient when the embryo is about to be transferred. And so I still feel that the system, while it may appear to be broken, actually works very well. But unfortunately those two incidents came to light in a very short period of time. Rachel Mealey: He says the latest incident involves a same-sex couple who've both generated embryos, and that's added a layer of complexity to the case. Alex Polyakov: What I can understand from the media release from Monash is that they both had IVF and created embryos from both sets of eggs. And the embryos usually belong to a couple. And so then they express the preference for a particular embryo to be transferred to one of the partners. And that instruction may not have gotten through unaltered from the doctor to the lab or from the lab to the patient. And so the couple received their own embryo. It just wasn't from an egg that they specified. Rachel Mealey: Sarah Jefford is a fertility law expert. She says systems need to be reviewed to reassure anyone currently going through IVF. Sarah Jefford: I think the clinic and all fertility clinics really need to be concerned about making sure that their treatment is accurate. We're really playing with people's lives here and not just the patients themselves but any person born. And that there's not really a lot of room for error. I know that all clinics have their protocols for making sure they're using the right eggs and sperm and embryos. But when mistakes like this happen, they have lifelong consequences for everyone involved. Rachel Mealey: She says there's room for a national regulator within the sector. Sarah Jefford: At a national level, we don't actually have consistent laws around fertility treatment. Every state and territory has their own laws. And there is no national regulator in that respect. We do have the National Health and Medical Research Council which distributes ethical guidelines. But we also generally allow for clinics to manage their own protocols and treatment standards. We don't have anything at the national level that really regulates them. Samantha Donovan: That's fertility law expert Sarah Jefford. That report from Rachel Mealey.

Monash IVF admits second embryo bungle
Monash IVF admits second embryo bungle

ABC News

time9 hours ago

  • ABC News

Monash IVF admits second embryo bungle

Samantha Donovan: Hello, welcome to PM. I'm Samantha Donovan, coming to you from the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation in Melbourne. Tonight, an IVF clinic admits another bungle, transferring the wrong embryo to a patient. Also accused triple murderer Erin Patterson rejects testimony from several witnesses at her trial, and older men learning to cook for the first time in their lives. John Seymour: I think a lot of men, including me, have realised that the time has come to do more around the house. Meals just don't magically arrive on the table. You have to learn. Samantha Donovan: First this evening, a major Australian in vitro fertilisation clinic has admitted once again to mistakenly transferring the wrong embryo to a patient. It's the second time in three months that Monash IVF has admitted to making an error. In the earlier incident, a Queensland woman unknowingly gave birth to somebody else's baby. The news has prompted an outcry, with those currently going through IVF calling for better regulation of the sector. Rachel Mealey reports. Rachel Mealey: It seems an unlikely place to admit to a mistake like this, but because Monash IVF is a listed company, it made the announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange. The statement said it had mistakenly implanted the wrong embryo in a patient. Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas says the mistake is unacceptable. Mary-Anne Thomas: So it appears that Monash IVF, which is a private fertility service here in Victoria, has not followed the treatment plan that was agreed with a couple that are receiving treatment from them. Now this is completely unacceptable. Rachel Mealey: Today's admission comes just two months after Monash IVF said it was responsible for a Brisbane woman giving birth to a baby who was genetically unrelated to her. 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Alex Polyakov: I do know that all the labs in Victoria and in Australia in general would have very similar protocols for these things. There are two embryologists identifying all biological samples when they're transferred. We check with the patient when the embryo is about to be transferred. And so I still feel that the system, while it may appear to be broken, actually works very well. But unfortunately those two incidents came to light in a very short period of time. Rachel Mealey: He says the latest incident involves a same-sex couple who've both generated embryos, and that's added a layer of complexity to the case. Alex Polyakov: What I can understand from the media release from Monash is that they both had IVF and created embryos from both sets of eggs. And the embryos usually belong to a couple. And so then they express the preference for a particular embryo to be transferred to one of the partners. And that instruction may not have gotten through unaltered from the doctor to the lab or from the lab to the patient. And so the couple received their own embryo. It just wasn't from an egg that they specified. Rachel Mealey: Sarah Jefford is a fertility law expert. She says systems need to be reviewed to reassure anyone currently going through IVF. Sarah Jefford: I think the clinic and all fertility clinics really need to be concerned about making sure that their treatment is accurate. We're really playing with people's lives here and not just the patients themselves but any person born. And that there's not really a lot of room for error. I know that all clinics have their protocols for making sure they're using the right eggs and sperm and embryos. But when mistakes like this happen, they have lifelong consequences for everyone involved. Rachel Mealey: She says there's room for a national regulator within the sector. Sarah Jefford: At a national level, we don't actually have consistent laws around fertility treatment. Every state and territory has their own laws. And there is no national regulator in that respect. We do have the National Health and Medical Research Council which distributes ethical guidelines. But we also generally allow for clinics to manage their own protocols and treatment standards. We don't have anything at the national level that really regulates them. Samantha Donovan: That's fertility law expert Sarah Jefford. That report from Rachel Mealey. Now to the murder trial of Erin Patterson, who's accused of killing three of her husband's relatives in 2023 by serving them a meal containing death cap mushrooms. She's pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder. On her sixth day of evidence, Ms Patterson has been disputing testimony from other witnesses including the surviving lunch guest, her own son and medical professionals. And reporter Kathleen O'Connor is at the court in Morwell in eastern Victoria. Kathleen, what evidence has Erin Patterson been disagreeing with as she's cross-examined by the prosecution? Kathleen O'Connor: Sam, Erin Patterson challenged the evidence from medical experts, Ian Wilkinson, her son, the child protection employee and her husband on day six of her evidence. She began disputing testimony from the only surviving lunch guest, Ian Wilkinson, about what colour and size plates were used at the lunch. Ms Patterson told the jury today in Wilkinson's evidence about the colour of the plates that were used at the lunch was not true. There's been a few different accounts from various witnesses about the plates throughout the trial. Mr Wilkinson previously telling the jury that the four guests ate from grey plates, while their host ate from an orangey tan coloured one and that it was also smaller than the rest of her guests. Ms Patterson denied that she owns any grey plates. Crown Prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers asked Ms Patterson, do you say that Ian Wilkinson has given incorrect evidence in relation to the plates? And she responded, yes, I do. Crown Prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers then told Ms Patterson, I suggest that after you had plated the food, you carried the smaller plate over to the dining table for yourself and after you knowingly served death cat mushrooms to four of your lunch guests, to avoid any error of accidentally consuming a poisoned beef wellington, you took the extra precaution of using a smaller, different coloured plate for yourself. Ms Patterson disagreed with that. She says she wouldn't have had enough matching plates for each person at the lunch and denies that she even had a smaller plate than the rest of her guests. Erin Patterson also disputed evidence from medical professionals claiming that she was never told some things. They allege that they told Ms Patterson particularly about the health risk to her children. Samantha Donovan: And the prosecution alleges Ms Patterson lied to medical professionals about how much of the beef wellington lunch she'd eaten. What she told the court today. Kathleen O'Connor: We heard a lot about this today. Dr Nanette Rogers accused Ms Patterson of serving herself a non-poisonous beef wellington and lied to medical professionals about only eating a small amount in her meal in an effort to explain to authorities why her symptoms were not as serious as the symptoms for the four of the other lunch guests. Ms Patterson denied those claims. The prosecution questioned Ms Patterson for most of the day about the various testimonies from medical professionals. We've heard from over the course of the trial about when the accused first presented to hospital. Ms Patterson told the court she remembers telling nurses and doctors that she only ate around a quarter or a third of the meal, not half. Which is what a number of medical professionals say Ms Patterson told them at the time. Ms Patterson also told the court that she can't be sure of how much she ate. She didn't measure it because she didn't have a measuring tape, but says it wasn't half. Ms Patterson also told the court that she wasn't told that her life was at risk by medical professionals after they learnt that she'd eaten the beef wellington meal when she first appeared at hospital the day after the lunch. And she also says that she never refused medical treatment. Ms Patterson will return to the Witness Box again on Wednesday, Sam. Samantha Donovan: That's our reporter Kathleen O'Connor at the Patterson murder trial in Morwell in eastern Victoria. To Los Angeles now where 2,000 extra National Guardsmen are being sent in by the President Donald Trump to quell the protests against his immigration policies. There are standoffs between troops and protesters in several parts of the city. 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The world's two biggest economies, the US and China, are again holding talks in an attempt to end the bitter trade war that threatens to derail the global economy. The American president, Donald Trump, launched heavy tariffs on Chinese imports after returning to the White House earlier this year. And China, of course, responded with its own tariffs on US imports. Our business correspondent David Taylor has this report on how the talks are going. David Taylor: Officials from China and the US have been sitting at the same table, figuring out how to co-exist in a highly competitive global economy. FNArena financial commentator Danielle Ecuyer. Danielle Ecuyer: Well, that's really interesting because we have some rather big trade talks going on at the moment in London. David Taylor: Talks at Lancaster House, a UK government mansion, were held yesterday and are set to resume Tuesday morning local time. 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Angus Randall: John Seymour can now whip up a Moroccan chicken dish and he's keen to learn more. John Seymour: The recipes have three hats, one hat, two hats and three, and I'm still at the one hat stage. Samantha Donovan: That's Canberra man John Seymour ending that report from Angus Randall and Sarah Grieb. Thanks for joining me for PM. I'm Samantha Donovan. The podcast of the full program is available on the ABC Listen app and that's where you'll find ABC News Daily with Sam Hawley each weekday morning too. Today's episode, more on the relationship between the American president, Donald Trump, and the billionaire Elon Musk. Can they reconcile? We'll be back at the same time tomorrow. Good night.

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