Cappagh orthopaedic hospital has the ability to “increase paediatric surgery across the board” for conditions such as scoliosis if a request for an additional €76 million in funding is granted to increase future capacity, a surgeon has said.
It emerged on Thursday that a business plan put to health officials for that level of capital investment at the facility in Finglas did not make it into a draft HSE national service plan for next year, which sets out planned spending.
A spokesman for the Cappagh Hospital Foundation said the money sought would facilitate major investment in new operating theatres, wards and high dependency beds, which would increase paediatric surgery capacity.
The benefits of doing that have been championed by consultant paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Dr Conor Green, who designed the investment strategy for the Cappagh Kids department. It would see surgeries redirected away from the acute hospital system and into a designated elective system.
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However, on a phone call with Minister of State for Disability Anne Rabbitte earlier this week, it emerged that the money was not included in the draft HSE plan.
Dr Green said the Government would owe parents an explanation if the Government choose not provide the funding.
“They need to explain to parents what other group is more important and where the €76 million is otherwise going to be allocated.”
He said the additional funding would help to “increase paediatric surgery across the board” rather than just for scoliosis, which only represented 17 per cent of cases.
Dr Green said he “didn’t expect the full amount but at least some of it” and that the hospital “didn’t need it all in one go either”.
Cappagh hospital said the current level of scoliosis procedures could already be increased from somewhere in the mid-20s to as many as 50 per year. A spokesman said the additional capacity exists because most patients are referred through acute hospitals rather than directly by doctors.
Gerry Maguire, chief executive of Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland (SBHI), who took part in Tuesday's online meeting with Ms Rabbitte, said he had heard funding announcements of millions of euro this week for sports organisations but he had "members listening to their children screaming in pain" while they wait for surgery.
Waiting list
In a statement, Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath said tackling the scoliosis waiting list remains a Government priority and that he discussed the issue with Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and HSE chief executive Paul Reid on Thursday.
“The HSE service plan for 2022 has not yet been approved or published. The HSE is aware of the level of priority the Government attaches to the issue of addressing the scoliosis waiting lists,” he said.
"The service plan will include a very significant investment in 2022 to increase scoliosis surgery capacity at Cappagh Kids, Temple Street and Crumlin.
“The HSE has received a number of specific proposals from Children’s Health Ireland in relation to scoliosis and will be in a position to fund these proposals. The full details will be confirmed when the service plan is published.”
The HSE said it was working with the Department of Health to finalise the service plan for next year, which would be published shortly.
“Children’s Hospital Ireland and Cappagh hospital have identified the potential to further expand the Cappagh for Kids initiative in 2022 and the HSE is committed to supporting this initiative fully through access-to-care funds provided by Government,” a spokeswoman said.
