Women undergoing fertility treatment in Britain were last night facing an agonising wait for news after it was discovered that frozen embryos had gone missing.
The scare surrounds the private Hampshire Clinic in Basingstoke, Hants, and the nearby North Hampshire Hospital. Both clinics share the same facilities and the embryos have apparently been mislaid.
A spokesman for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority said: "We are naturally concerned that it appears that some frozen embryos in store appear to be missing. There's no suggestion the wrong embryos have been transferred into patients. We have asked the clinic to make a full investigation and report as soon as possible."
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "Health Secretary Mr Alan Milburn has asked the Chief Medical Officer Professor Mr Liam Donaldson to report to him urgently on what further action now needs to be taken by the NHS to relay fears and concerns of those affected by these situations. "The hospital trust has also launched an internal inquiry to find out just how this might have happened."