Heart lost in the post

The hospital usually uses couriers to transport organs

A Devon hospital has apologised to a family after a woman's heart was lost in the post.

Staff at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital mistakenly used the first class post service to send the heart for analysis in January.

Kathy and Gerald Moyle of East Budleigh, Devon, were told the heart of their daughter, 38-year-old Roseline, who died last October, had not arrived at a destination in Peterborough.

The hospital says it is the first time it has not used a courier to send an organ to another hospital.

Mr Moyle, 73, said he agreed the heart could be sent for analysis to discover why his daughter died suddenly at home.

Because the delivery address was a PO box number, our staff used Royal Mail but not registered delivery

Angela Pedder,
Hospital chief executive

However, he said he was "appalled" to learn the organ was lost in the post.

He said: "I couldn't believe it was sent through ordinary post. I don't know how they could have lost it.

"I am not happy at all. They have put it in writing that they are very sorry but that doesn't mean anything to us. It's just words."

Hospital chief executive Angela Pedder expressed "deep regret" over the loss of the heart.

She said: "We have apologised to the family concerned for the distress they must feel and I would like to repeat that apology again.

"We agreed with the coroner and the family that the heart should be sent to a cardiac specialist to explore the possibility of a rare cardiac problem to help establish cause of death.

Thorough investigation

"Normally a courier service is used to transport organs when a further opinion is needed.

"But because the delivery address was a PO box number, our staff used Royal Mail but not registered delivery."

She said the hospital had conducted a thorough investigation and had reinforced procedures to ensure a courier service would always be used to transport organs.

A Royal Mail spokesman said customers were advised to use a secure service for sending items of this nature.

"Sending it by first class post, unfortunately, means the mail is sent through the same system as everything else.

"Even something like special delivery could have been used to ensure it was tracked throughout the system."