More children were added to the spinal surgery waiting list in the first three months of the year than were operated on, according to the body that oversees paediatric healthcare in the State.
On Friday, Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) published an activity update on spinal surgery for children with scoliosis and spina bifida, showing 123 surgeries were carried out in the first three months of this year.
However, 144 additional spinal procedures were added to the waiting list following outpatient assessment between January and the end of March.
A CHI spokeswoman said about 50 new patients are listed for a spinal surgery procedure every month, while others will have non-surgical intervention, such as monitoring of their condition or the use of a spinal brace or cast.
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There are 228 patients on the waiting list for surgery, of whom 137 are ready and awaiting a date.
Thirty-one surgeries are planned, 20 children have been assigned a “to come in” date for surgery and 40 children are suspended from the waiting list for a variety of reasons, including clinical, personal or because they are confirmed to have their surgery in another hospital under a CHI initiative.
Of those who are on the active waiting list, 45 have been waiting longer than six months.
The average waiting time for non-complex patients is four months, while for complex cases, CHI said it is “validating” waiting time data.
David Moore, head of the spinal surgery management unit, said the unit will “continue to develop and implement important quality measures and patient education resources ... We aim to have a new consultant spinal surgeon in post in the summer, who will further bolster our efforts to reduce the waiting list for spinal surgery and the length of time that patients are waiting.
“We look forward to welcoming new members to the team, and recruitment is currently under way for a clinical nurse specialist, an advanced nurse practitioner in tissue viability and an occupational therapy specialist.”
The update was published days after the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) released a report on the implantation of unauthorised metal springs into three children requiring spinal surgery at Temple Street hospital, Dublin.
The report stated that the use of the springs was “wrong”, while failures in controls meant “children were not protected from the risk of harm”.
CHI accepted the recommendations within the Hiqa report and pledged to improve governance further. The spokeswoman said a quality improvement plan is in development and will be published within three months.
Advocacy groups and families of children with scoliosis and spina bifida have called for a public inquiry into orthopaedic services in CHI.
