Children who may have been subjected to unnecessary hip dysplasia surgery must wait until next year before they are assessed by a team of external experts for a second medical opinion.
In May, the HSE published an independent audit on hip surgery thresholds for children with developmental dysplasia of the hip.
It examined 147 cases across three hospitals: Temple Street, the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh and Crumlin Hospital. In Temple Street, 60 per cent of surgeries audited did not meet the clinical threshold for surgical intervention, while this was the case for 79 per cent in the Cappagh hospital.
Following the report, the HSE announced it was commissioning an independent expert review panel that will work to review patient files to determine the appropriateness of the original decision to operate.
RM Block
The HSE said then that the review panel would be set up within six months. However, a spokeswoman for the executive has now said it will be January before the review of individual cases begins.
The health service issued an international call for experts, with applications accepted up until last Friday.
“Expressions of interest have been received from a wide range of regions including Ireland, the UK, the USA, Canada, Asia and other parts of Europe,” the spokeswoman said.
“These submissions will be subject to a shortlisting and recruitment process prior to the formal announcement of the panel, which is expected to convene in September.”
She said an international expert has been identified and agreed to chair the external panel, and terms are being negotiated.
The organisation is designing a “robust scientific and methodological framework” for the review, which is expected to be agreed between September and December this year.
“It is expected that the review of individual cases will commence in January. This timeline reflects the complexity of the work involved and the need to ensure a rigorous and comprehensive approach,” it added.
The HSE, Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) and patient advocates held a meeting on the external review panel last Thursday.
In a statement following the meeting, Hip Dysplasia Advocacy Group, a newly-established representative organisation, said there must be “full transparency” between the HSE and the families regarding these reviews. It said “everyone is left completely in the dark”.
“We strongly suggested they set up a webpage to inform families of updates in a timely manner and we hope to see this implemented swiftly,” the statement said.
The advocacy group described the engagement with CHI at the meeting as positive, adding that the paediatric healthcare provider anticipates all follow-up appointments for affected children will be completed by the end of the year.
