Health board apologise to devastated family who held funeral for the wrong body

09 March 2024 , 09:50

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Back in late 2023, a similar mistake at the hospital saw the wrong body cremated (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

A health board has been forced to apologise after a Welsh hospital released the wrong body to a grieving body.

The Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said they were "devastated" by the mix-up at The Grange hospital in Cwmbran. The family were failed to be notified about the serious blunder until several months after the death and the funeral.

They say it is believed that there is no known family of the other patient and this is the reason there has been a delay in this case being identified. A spokesperson for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: "We are truly devastated for the family involved in this incident and we are deeply sorry that this has happened in our mortuary.

"It is with deep regret that this incident occurred within days prior to a similar incident already reported and was due to the same human error. Our initial investigation has just been completed and we are now further investigating the circumstances surrounding this second incident that occurred around the same time in similar circumstances.

"We have taken appropriate action since November within the mortuary setting and have put in place even more safeguards due to this second case. We have also conducted a retrospective audit to ensure that there are no further cases that mirror this incident and we have also asked the Human Tissue Authority to undertake a follow-up audit on our systems and processes for further reassurance.

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“We have met with the family to fully inform them about this situation and to offer them as much support as they need. We have been informed that there is no known family of the other patient and this is the reason there has been a delay in this case being identified.

“We will keep family members fully updated throughout our continuing investigation. We are deeply sorry, and our thoughts and full support remain with the family.”

This isn't the first time the incident has happened, according to WalesOnline. Back in late 2023, a similar mistake at the hospital saw the wrong body cremated. According to the health board, the most recent mix-up occured due to "human error" and that it is investigating what happened.

Zesha Saleem