The organisation representing hospital consultants has maintained that the scandal surrounding the use of unauthorised springs in children’s spinal surgeries was due to “numerous failings” in the procurement processes and safety checks at Temple Street hospital.
In its first comment since the publication of a highly critical report by health watchdog Hiqa earlier this week, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) said the events outlined “should have been, entirely preventable had proper policies and procedures been adhered to at the hospital”.
An IHCA spokesman confirmed to The Irish Times that the surgeon at the centre of the controversy was a member of the organisation.
The organisation’s statement focused mainly on failures in governance at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), which were highlighted by Hiqa. CHI runs Temple Street hospital.
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“The [Hiqa] report highlights serious system-wide governance failures at CHI, particularly at Temple Street, where consultants were working under intense pressure with high patient care needs and workloads with inadequate support. It is within this environment that a surgeon, acting with good intent and in the absence of effective structures, endeavoured to provide innovative care to children”, said the IHCA.
“These were children with complex life-limiting conditions – children who, without intervention, faced extremely poor outcomes and suffering. As indicated by the Hiqa report, at the time, the surgeon believed the devices to be medical-grade stainless steel, CE marked as suitable for use as surgical implants. Due to the numerous failings in the hospital’s procurement processes and safety checks, this surgical ‘never event’ happened. This was, and should have been, entirely preventable had proper policies and procedures been adhered to at the hospital.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil on Tuesday that responsibility for the use of unauthorised springs in children’s spinal surgeries lay with the surgeon involved “in the first instance”.
He said it was “beyond comprehension” that springs not permitted for surgeries were used at a Dublin hospital.
“What happened shouldn’t have happened. It was an individual decision taken to use springs that should not have been used on any child,” he told the Dáil.
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association said it recognised the deep distress and hurt caused to the three children concerned and their families.
“Hiqa itself recognised these actions as a well-meaning effort to prolong the lives and improve the quality of life of these patients. Nonetheless, this situation underscores the urgent need for robust governance systems to ensure both patient safety and clinical accountability.”
“While individual accountability is essential, consultants do not work in isolation. They depend on functioning, transparent management structures and appropriate clinical supports. Failures in these systems increase the risk of poor outcomes, despite the best efforts of medical professionals.”
Connor Green, the surgeon at the centre of the controversy, ceased performing surgeries in 2023 and was referred to the Irish Medical Council. He has not replied to a request for comment.
