Thousands of aborted fetuses and miscarried babies were incinerated as "clinical waste" to heat hospitals in the United Kingdom. The remains were also used in "waste-to-energy" plants, The Telegraph reported Monday.
An investigation found that at least 15,000 fetuses were burned by dozens of National Health Service trusts in the last two years. At least 10 of the 27 NHS trusts named have admitted to burning the remains along with other waste. Two others admitted to using the bodies in "waste-to-energy" plants to generate power for heat, the newspaper reported.
"This practice is totally unacceptable," health minister Dr. Dan Poulter from the Department of Health said, The Telegraph reported.
The department issued a ban on incinerating the fetuses on Sunday night.
"While the vast majority of hospitals are acting in the appropriate way, that must be the case for all hospitals and the Human Tissue Authority has now been asked to ensure that it acts on this issue without delay," Poulter said.
Addenbrooke hospital in Cambridge, one of Britain's premiere hospitals, incinerated 797 fetuses that were aborted after 13 weeks. A "waste-to-energy" facility at Ipswich Hospital burned 1,101 fetuses that were brought in from another hospital, the newspaper reported.
The investigation found that the mothers of the fetuses were often treated harshly and were not told what was going to happen to the remains.
Addenbrooke told the mothers the fetuses would be "cremated," the newspaper reported.
"I am disappointed trusts may not be informing or consulting women and their families,' Mike Richards, Chief Inspector of Hospitals, said according to The Telegraph.
"This breaches our standard on respecting and involving people who use services and I'm keen for Dispatches to share their evidence with us," Richards said, referring to Channel 4's investigative program "Dispatches," which will air a report on the investigation's findings on Monday.
A spokeswoman from Ipswich Hospital said the hospital was shocked to find out fetuses from another hospital were incinerated at its facility, The Telegraph reported.
"The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust does not incinerate fetal remains," the spokeswoman said.
