Family cremates the wrong body after clumsy hospital staff gives them the wrong remains – then has to hold a second funeral for the right ones
- Health chiefs blamed ‘human error’ at a hospital mortuary in South Wales
A family in Wales cremated the body of a stranger after clumsy hospital staff gave them the wrong body.
Health chiefs blamed ‘human error’ at a hospital morgue in south Wales for leaving a grieving family in shock.
The body was recovered from the mortuary at Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran in South Wales and a funeral service was held at Sirhowy Valley Crematorium.
The health board later discovered the confusion and had to break the news to the family.
Two weeks later, the family had to hold a second funeral for their recently deceased relative.
Health chiefs blamed ‘human error’ at a south Wales hospital morgue for leaving a grieving family in shock
CEO Nicola Prygodzicz has met with the family who have endured the ordeal of holding two funerals in a fortnight
According to the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in South Wales, the wrongly cremated person had no living relatives.
CEO Nicola Prygodzicz met with the family who were going through the ordeal of holding two funerals in a fortnight.
She said: ‘We are heartbroken over what has happened to the family and we take responsibility for this isolated incident.
“No words we can say, or actions we can take, can make this right.
‘We are deeply sorry and our thoughts and full support remain with the family.’
A crematorium spokesperson said: ‘We are not authorized to comment without permission from families.’
It is clear that the costs of the second funeral will be borne by the health board.
Prygodzicz added: “We would also like to reassure the public that this is an exceptional case.
‘We have identified this error through our own processes and following an initial review we are confident that this is due to isolated human error.’