IVF Mixups - Anyone aware of this possibility?

[Pomegranate007]

We're going for our second round of IVF next year through the NHS but I've recently started working for a company that manufactures a witnessing system that prevents IVF sample mix ups.

For our first (successful ) round of IVF I was, perhaps, naively unaware that sample mix ups could happen ! Am I in the minority? Has anyone else considered security when choosing an IVF clinic - rather than just success rates?

I'd be fascinated to know! Many thanks.

It's a risk but it's a risk you have to take. A mix up would never be done on purpose and there are so many opportunities to catch a mix up I hope that it is extremely rare. I would be wary on foreign clinics though.

I'm pretty sure that all embryology departments follow a code for checking and double checking everything. Think it's an HFEA guideline or something?

Yes, it’s possible but rare, and you can find high profile cases of mix-ups, from the UK and around the world.

It shouldn’t happen if clinics are complying with hefa guidance, as betty states. All UK clinics are licensed and regulated by hefa. The process of identification is so serious, this is listed as a license condition under the UK legislation which permits IVF. You can read inspection reports for your clinic on the hefa website. Unfortunately they are not the easiest documents to understand, but I have read these alongside the stats when choosing a clinic.

This did cross my mind when we were having treatments but there's so many points where checks are made that it is unlikely. We went privately for our treatment and if samples are put near each other that don't belong to us the alarms all go off.

Out of interest, does your area offer IVF for second baby? Our PCT removes you off the list if you already have a child. So, even though we paid for IVF for our DD we would not be entitled to IVF on the NHS for a second child.

This is what I thought mmmminx.

I don't think anyone funds IVF for second children.

The checks and double checks were very good. I had to confirm my name all the time. When we had the embryo transfer the consultant checked and double checked with the embryologist.

In the early days of IVF there was a case of a mix up, and it only came to light because one family was black and the other white so the mix up was quite clear.

The clinic I went to actually did have a mix up years ago.
2 women were given each other's embryo, but when they tallied the paperwork at the end of the day, they realised their mistake and called the couples in so they could take a tablet to prevent implantation.

This actually reassured me, because after a cock up like that, they are going to have watertight procedures to ensure it doesn't happen again.
We had to repeat our names and DoBs a number of times before each transfer, and it was double checked each time by another clinician.

We're in the Cornwall area and had treatment at Plymouth. We had two embryos frozen and were given a costs sheet (during our first treatment) for when we want to use them, before we even left the building! We're paying for their cryo too p/a. We can still have it done at the same hospital though. Did you go private second time round?

This is all great feedback BTW. I'm going to let my boss at work know how knowledgeable everyone else seems to be!!

At my clinic they checked so many times it became tedious. Reassuring though.