The Health Service Executive (HSE) has declined to confirm if it is satisfied children waiting more than four months for spinal surgery at the end of last year were offered treatment abroad, despite a legal direction from the former minister for health requesting they “closely monitor progress”.
On January 21st, in one of his last letters as health minister, Stephen Donnelly sent a letter to HSE board chairman Ciaran Devane about scoliosis and spina bifida waiting lists in Children’s Health Ireland (CHI)
Under health legislation, Mr Donnelly directed the HSE to ensure all children who were waiting more than four months for spinal surgery at the end of 2024 to be offered treatment in New York or London if it is clinically appropriate.
“This offer should be made in consultation with [their] CHI consultant for each child. Please note that after this consultation, the family may avail of the offer regardless of the view of the CHI consultant,” he wrote.
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“I would be grateful if the board would closely monitor progress in this area.”
The HSE is legally obliged to comply with the directions issued by a minister under Section 10 of the Health Act 2004.
Asked whether the HSE is satisfied these children have been offered treatment abroad, a spokeswoman did not respond, stating it was a matter for CHI.
A spokeswoman for CHI said “a number of families are considering surgery abroad in the future”.
“Not all patients who have been waiting for spinal surgery for longer than four months are clinically suitable to travel abroad for surgery,” the spokeswoman said.
“They may have complex care needs, they may not be physically able to travel on a long-haul flight, they may have socioeconomic factors to consider, their consultant in Ireland may recommend against it, or the team in the treating hospital abroad may recommend against it.”
The spokeswoman said for “less-complex adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients, using capacity in Ireland is the more appropriate pathway”.
According to Mr Donnelly, the number of children on the active list who were waiting more than four months for surgery had fallen “considerably” from 86 in January 2024 to 54 on December 31st last.
“While this figure is much improved since earlier in the year, we are not where we need to be. I am disappointed that the figure is not closer to 20, as was projected by the paediatric spinal services management unit in CHI,” he said.
According to the most recent figures from CHI, from February, there were 132 patients active on the waiting list for spinal surgery, of whom 43 are waiting longer than six months.
