Victoria to push for stricter laws as Monash IVF boss Michael Knaap exits over embryo bungles

Victoria will push for national regulation of the fertility sector as the embattled chief of Monash IVF has been ousted after two embryo mix ups were revealed within weeks.

Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas will push for an independent national accreditation and licensing scheme for fertility providers at the health ministers’ meeting (HMM) in Melbourne on Friday.

Ms Thomas said Monash IVF has a lot of work to do to win back public trust and confidence, and needed a strong leadership team to do that.

“It is very clear that there needs to be greater national consistency to strengthen regulation of the fertility care providers across Australia,” Ms Thomas said.

“I will advocate for a strong and independent national accreditation and licensing scheme for fertility providers at the health ministers’ meeting tomorrow.”

It comes as the CEO of the embattled fertility giant Michael Knapp resigned on Thursday.

His exit follows weeks of turmoil in which Monash IVF admitted a second embryo mix-up just weeks after the Herald Sun revealed a shocking error that saw a Queensland woman give birth to a stranger’s baby.

Michael Knaap has exited as chief executive of Monash IVF. Picture: Supplied

The child was born in 2023, but the heartbreaking mix-up only came to light when the family requested its remaining embryos be transferred to another fertility provider in February.

Then on Tuesday Monash IVF said a patient in Victoria was wrongly given her biological embryo – instead of her partner’s as planned – at its Clayton clinic last week.

Monash IVF, who has commissioned an independent review into the Brisbane mix-up, said it would expand the scope to now include the Melbourne bungle.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says he wants the findings of that review made public.

Mr Butler said regulation of the IVF sector was on Friday’s HMM agenda.

“We will be monitoring the progress of the review and expect the findings to be made public,” he said.

Mark Butler wants the findings of the review made public. Picture: Martin Ollman

Last year Monash IVF agreed to pay $56 million in compensation to settle a class action that involved 700 families. It was alleged it used inaccurate genetic testing and destroyed potentially viable embryos.

Mr Knaap had been in the chief executive role since 2019 and was formerly Monash IVF’s chief financial officer.

In a statement lodged with the Australian Securities Exchange on Thursday morning, Monash IVF said its group chief financial officer and company secretary Malik Jainudeen would step in as acting chief executive officer.

The Monash IVF board said it had accepted Mr Knaap’s resignation and that it respected his decision to resign and thanked him for his “years of dedicated service”.

“Since his appointment in 2019, Michael has led the organisation through a period of significant growth and transformation, and we thank him for his years of dedicated service.”

Originally published as Victoria to push for stricter laws as Monash IVF boss Michael Knaap exits over embryo bungles