Wrong body cremated in Wales after hospital mix-up
A grieving family in South Wales has been handed the incorrect body to cremate during a funeral, following a mix-up by a local NHS hospital.
After the error, the unidentified family had to deal with a second burial using the correct body.
The Guardian reports that an internal investigation has been launched into the events that occurred at the Sirhowy Valley crematorium in Blackwood.
On Saturday, a spokesperson for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said, “We are utterly heartbroken about what has happened to the family, and we take responsibility for this isolated incident.
“Words cannot express how sorry we are. We have met the family to fully inform them about this situation and to offer them as much support as they need.
“We would also like to reassure the public that this is an exceptional case. We identified this mistake through our own processes and after an initial review, we are confident that this is down to human error in an isolated case.
“However, we are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident and we will keep family members fully updated throughout our investigation.”In a similar incident, The Guardian reported in 2015 that a spelling error and the failure of mortuary personnel to conduct proper identity verifications resulted in the cremation of the wrong body during the funeral of Conservative MEP Philip Bradbourn.