Some IVF clinics maybe keeping quiet over bungles, in wake of Monash mistakes

Some IVF clinics across the country are keeping quiet about whether they have also made embryo, egg or sperm errors after two shocking mix-ups were revealed at fertility giant Monash IVF.

Some IVF clinics across the country are staying mum about whether they have also made embryo, egg or sperm errors after two shocking mix-ups were revealed at fertility giant Monash IVF in as many months.

The Herald Sun revealed in April a catastrophic mix-up at Monash IVF’s Brisbane clinic that led to a woman being implanted with a stranger’s embryo. The error was only discovered after the baby had been born and the birth parents wanted to transfer their remaining embryos to another provider.

In June Monash IVF was again at the centre of another embryo mix-up when it transferred the

wrong embryo to a patient, who was expecting to carry her same-sex partner’s baby.

It led to Health Minister Mark Butler slamming Monash IVF and putting assisted reproductive

technologies (ART) regulation on the agenda of last Friday’s Health Ministers’ Meeting in Melbourne.

A catastrophic mix-up at Monash IVF’s Brisbane clinic led to a woman being implanted with a stranger’s embryo.

A day before Monash IVF CEO Michael Knaap had resigned and Malik Jainudeen was named acting chief executive. Mr Jainudeen wrote to patients and said they were “devastated” by the recent incidents.

But there remains unease with many parents who have had children through IVF, with some even considering having DNA tests to confirm their babies are their own.

The Herald Sun has now asked many of the country’s fertility providers if they have reported adverse events to the industry regulator as they are legally required to do, and to disclose to the public for the first time what they are.

There have been 172 nonconformances (NCR), at IVF clinics in Australia, 149 of these in Victoria.

These were reported as part of the latest Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee’s

(RTAC) annual report.

RTAC is the national regulator of ART and is part of the industry-funded peak body, the Fertility

Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) which accredits and regulates fertility clinics.

Asked why the clinics are not named when an NCR has occurred, a FSANZ spokesman said under the

RTAC Code of Practice, all incidents, serious or otherwise, must be reported, thoroughly

investigated, and disclosed to affected patients.

There have been 172 nonconformances at IVF clinics in Australia, 149 of those in Victoria.

“While these events are extremely rare, every reported case is treated with the utmost seriousness, fully investigated, and used to drive sector-wide safety improvements. We respect media interest in this, however our responsibility to patient confidentiality and legal obligations mean we will not disclose the specifics of individual clinics.”

Adora Fertility said through a spokesman that there been no reports of any mix ups at Adora Fertility that resulted in a patient receiving the incorrect sperm, egg or embryo.

From City Fertility, a spokesman said any adverse events recorded by City Fertility are reported in accordance with the RTAC Code of Practice.

A Melbourne IVF spokesman said it was well below the industry average for reported incidents and “committed to the highest standards of clinical safety and transparency” and that it maintained a patient open disclosure policy.

“We continue to strengthen our protocols to ensure the integrity of our services and support

National reform to the IVF sector.”

Regulation of ART in Australia is under review as it is somewhat “clunky” with responsibility for the industry and IVF clinics shared across the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

They regulate fertility treatment and donor conception, information sharing and privacy but it is the industry-funded peak body FSANZ that accredits and regulates fertility clinics.

The national regulator RTAC is part of FSANZ. It is responsible for setting performance standards for ART through an audited Code of Practice and also grants licences to practice ART within Australia.

At the Health Ministers’ Meeting last Friday it was agreed to commission a “rapid” three-month review into regulation options – including creating an independent accreditation body.

FSANZ said it welcomed the review.

Originally published as Some IVF clinics maybe keeping quiet over bungles, in wake of Monash mistakes