A "turf war" among three children's hospitals in Dublin has resulted in a much-needed consultant post remaining vacant for seven years, it was claimed yesterday.
The professor of paediatrics at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Prof Brendan Drumm, said that rather than confront the vested interests, the Department of Health had decided to send children needing complex urology surgery to the UK. This was ridiculous, he said.
He explained there was only one paediatric urologist in the State, and when he retired seven years ago, it was expected he would be replaced within a year.
However, a row over the structuring of the post between Crumlin Hospital, Temple Street and the National Children's Hospital had meant the post was still vacant.
There was a locum in place but he could not do complex surgery. "Somebody in a temporary post can't do that as they may or may not be there tomorrow," Prof Drumm said.
"The department's response to that has been to send all these children to London for surgery rather than saying, 'this is absolutely ridiculous and it cannot continue to go on'," he said.
London physicians refused to take on the cases as it was "multi-stage surgery and would be inappropriate".
"Now a number of these cases are left hanging on without anybody to deal with them."
Prof Drumm said these included cases of children who were not clearly defined as male or female. There were a number of such births every year. "These are very sensitive abnormalities for families. That is the only reason why there has been no outcry from families affected."
He said this was allowed to happen because there was no Government plan for paediatric services. A review, promised some months ago by the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, should be put in place immediately.
The review, he added, should be carried out by an independent team, with paediatricians permitted to make submissions only.
"Reviews are taking so long because everybody is fighting for their patch. The turkeys are discussing Christmas," he said.
On the subject of conditions at Crumlin Hospital, which was recently the subject of a scathing independent report, Prof Drumm said a lack of funding over the years was a huge problem.
He said the hospital's burns unit was built entirely from fundraising and recently, after receiving no Government aid, the hospital had to borrow €4 million to try to establish a unit for cystic fibrosis sufferers.
The Council for Children's Hospitals' Care, based at St James's Hospital, also called for an immediate review of paediatric services yesterday.
Its chief officer, Ms Helen Byrne, made the plea during a one-day conference in Dublin where the findings of a UK inquiry into heart surgery and organ-retention practices at the Bristol Royal Infirmary were examined to see how they could be incorporated into paediatric services in the Republic.