Embryologist fooled IVF patients

Fielding was found guilty of 11 charges in total

An embryologist has been found guilty of deceiving couples hoping to have children through IVF treatment.

Eight women underwent operations mistakenly believing they were having embryos implanted.

Paul Fielding had failed to thaw the embryos and knew they were still in frozen storage, Southampton Crown Court heard.

Fielding, 44, was found guilty of three charges of assault causing actual bodily harm and eight of false accounting to obtain money by deception.

I want you to be in no doubt of this - you have betrayed the trust of those people who trusted you so much

Judge John Boggis QC

During the trial it emerged that he had debts of £25,000, of which his wife was unaware.

He was paid £50 each time a procedure was carried out.

All 11 charges related to his work at the private North Hampshire Fertility Centre and the NHS-run Hampshire Clinic, both in Basingstoke, between 1997 and 1999.

'Despicable' crimes

Judge John Boggis QC said: "I want you to be in no doubt of this - you have betrayed the trust of those people who trusted you so much.

"Your crimes are despicable and you face a custodial sentence."

Fielding's deception was discovered during an audit

Fielding's job was to prepare, freeze and thaw embryos, ready to be inserted into women during IVF treatment.

But the father-of-three had not mixed the women's eggs with their partners' sperm, and no eggs were being inserted into the women.

Instead he gave the gynaecologist a test tube of saline solution.

Three women were hurt during the procedures, leading to the assault charges against Fielding.

New regulations

An audit at the Hampshire Clinic in 2000 discovered the embryos, which patients thought had been implanted into their wombs, were still in frozen storage.

The court was told pregnancy rates at the clinic fell from 33% in 1997 to just 15.7% in 1999.

Following the audit, new procedures were introduced by the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority.

Suzi Leather, chairwoman of authority, said: "It has increased the thoroughness of inspections so as to minimise the risk of errors and to increase the chance that irregularities will be detected."

She added: "Greater attention is now paid to the inspection of laboratory procedures."

Judge Boggis adjourned sentencing until 15 January for psychiatric reports and Fielding was given unconditional bail.