Taoiseach ‘angry and frustrated’ at ongoing delays for children’s spinal surgery

David Young, PA

The Taoiseach said he is frustrated and angry at ongoing delays for children receiving spinal surgery.

Leo Varadkar spoke ahead of a meeting on Friday with advocacy groups representing families affected by the issues with complex spinal surgery in Ireland.

Some families have criticised the terms of an HSE-commissioned probe into surgeries at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) hospitals.

That review was triggered by concerns around the post-operative outcomes of several children with serous spinal conditions who had been operated on by a surgeon at Temple Street hospital in Dublin. The surgeon is no longer performing operations.

The use of a non-medical spring-type device in some surgeries is also being examined.

The external probe will also look at services provided by CHI across several hospital sites to identify any ways to help drive down persistently long surgery waiting lists.

Of almost 300 children currently on a waiting list for spinal surgery, more than 100 have been waiting in excess of the four-month target.

Mr Varadkar, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster were to attend Friday’s meeting with the advocacy groups.

“Really, the purpose of the meeting is to hear from them,” the Taoiseach said before the discussions.

“You know, clearly there are issues with the spinal service in CHI, there are issues in relation to the practice of one consultant, but there are also wider issues and I know they must be very frustrated and very angry at the delays that children have to endure to get treatment. I am too.

“Despite years and years of additional investment and increases in the number of operations performed, we haven’t really seen waiting lists improve very much.

“But, mainly, the purpose of meeting is for Mr Donnelly and I and the head of the HSE to really hear from them and that’s going to be an important meeting and one I am looking forward to.”