TWO local councillors representing a family who had to carry out a second funeral after being told they had been given the wrong person to cremate say that the funeral home should have spotted the mistake.

But Co-operative Funeralcare insists the error was wholly the hospital's fault and that there was nothing to suggest they had collected the wrong person from the morgue. 

The disagreement is part of the fall-out from the shocking mistake, first reported by the Argus on Saturday.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has taken responsibility for what happened, saying it was human error, and chief executive Nicola Prygodzicz apologised to the family affected, saying staff were "heartbroken".

Blackwood town mayor George Edwards-Etheridge and Caerphilly County Borough councillor Kevin Etheridge have been supporting the family, who the Argus has not identified.  

Cllr Edwards-Etheridge, who was himself a funeral director until 2019, said that while the mistake was made by The Grange hospital, checks from the funeral home should have spotted the error.

"Having had 15 years experience in the funeral industry, I have asked the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to work very closely with the Co-operative Funeralcare as there are errors on their side also," he said. "These need to be addressed as part of the ongoing investigation.

"We have also asked that the ABUHB work with the National Association of Funeral Directors to make sure this type of error never happens again."

He added that there was no blame attached to Sirhowy Valley Crematorium, where the cremation took place. You can read the full statement from the councillors below this article.

A spokesperson for Co-op Funeralcare said they "refuted" any claim they made errors, and pointed to the hospital statement that admitted making a mistake.

"It is the hospital’s responsibility to identify and release the correct deceased into our care," they said. "The hospital has admitted the error in this incident sits with them."

They said they had reviewed their procedures in the case and there had been nothing to suggest they had been given the wrong body.

"We continue to liaise with the health board and will remain close to the outcome of their investigation," they said.

Meanwhile, Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru MS for the South East, has tabled a question for health minister Eluned Morgan asking what steps have been put in place to prevent such a mistake happening again.

“This cannot be allowed to happen again," Ms Jewell told the Argus. "The health board have, I know, said that this was an isolated incident, but urgent clarity must be given as to how the wrong body could have been released in the first place.

"The families and friends of people who’ve died recently under the care of this hospital will understandably want reassurance from the health board that steps have been put in place to ensure this cannot be repeated.

"Human error shouldn’t be allowed to feature in something as sensitive as the treatment of people who’ve died: proper checks must be installed as a matter of urgency.

"I would welcome clarity from the health board about the measures they’ve put in place to make sure this can’t happen again.”

Her comments echo concerns raised by fellow Senedd members Peredur Owen Griffiths and Natasha Asghar yesterday. 

The health board has also said that the person wrongly cremated at the original service was not believed to have any family. 

Full statement from councillors acting on family's behalf

Having been contacted by the family to assist them in this extremely difficult time, we fully support the family and will do everything possible to assist them through this tragedy, we have been given full permission to act on their behalf and we hope by doing so this will minimise the already grief stricken stress they are currently enduring.  

We then met with directors of the ABUHB and have asked many detailed questions and for a full open and independent investigation to be carried out.

We now await the report in to the findings of this catastrophic error.

We have been assured by the ABUHB that this was an isolated incident.

We would also like to indicate that there is no blame attached to the Sirhowy Valley Crematorium with this incident as all procedures were strictly followed. The Sirhowy Valley Crematorium takes great pride in serving the community and are as extremely saddened by this catastrophic error. 

Having had 15 years experience in the funeral industry I have asked the ABUHB to work very closely with the Co-operative Funeral care as there are errors on their side also. These need to be addressed as part of the ongoing investigation.

We have also asked that the ABUHB work with the National Association of Funeral Directors to make  sure this type of error never happens again.

At this juncture We would also like to thank the South Wales Argus for keeping the family's identity private.

Blackwood mayor and councillor George Etheridge and leader of the independent party and Caerphilly councillor Kevin Etheridge