Details of Monash IVF mix-up review to be kept secret

The results of an independent review into errors at two branches of the same IVF company in Australia will remain confidential.

Monash IVF came under scrutiny after two separate incidents involving embryo mix-ups at their Melbourne and Brisbane clinics. The independent review, conducted by lawyer Fiona McLeod, concluded that the incidents were 'non-standard' and 'would not arise in the vast majority of IVF procedures'. The company has decided not to publish specific details of the incidents to 'protect the privacy of the affected patients'.

'To the affected patients and everyone who entrusts Monash IVF with their dreams of building a family, we are deeply sorry for the distress these incidents have caused,' said acting CEO Malik Jainudeen in a statement. He added that the clinic would be 'implementing the recommendations of the independent review and have taken additional measures to reduce the risk of such incidents occurring in the future'.

The first incident took place in Brisbane in 2023, where the wrong embryo was transferred into a patient, resulting in the birth of a child with no genetic link to the mother (seeBioNews 1285). The review attributed this to human error.

The second incident occurred in Melbourne in 2025, where a patient's own embryo was transferred instead of her partner's (see BioNews 1293). This was determined to be due to both human error and 'IT system limitations' regarding the situation of embryo transfer to a partner. Partners carrying one another's embryos is known as 'shared motherhood' or 'reciprocal' IVF and is becoming more popular among same-sex female couples.

Monash IVF, which conducts about a quarter of all IVF cycles in Australia, has not shared further details of either case.

Australian health minister Mark Butler has urged Monash IVF to reconsider its decision to keep the independent review private, calling on the clinic to 'keep faith with families across Australia'.

The Australian Shareholders' Association agreed, saying that: 'These incidents point to systemic governance and clinical risk management failures, not isolated mistakes. Ultimately, this is about restoring trust, accountability, and effective governance in a sector where mistakes carry irreversible consequences.'