Children face having to travel abroad for spinal surgery
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Children now face having to travel abroad for spinal surgery amid fears long waiting lists for the operations will grow in the wake of the latest scandal to hit the health service.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the "alarming" issues that have emerged in relation to the surgeries for children at CHI at Temple Street "extend well beyond malpractice" and may involve "wider failure of clinical governance".
On Monday the HSE announced an external review into spinal surgeries involving 19 children at CHI at Temple Street. It has emerged:
- One of those children has died.
- Three children had an unauthorised device implanted during treatment, and others experienced an unusually high rate of post-operation complications and the need for unplanned further surgery.
- The consultant at the centre of the controversy is, according to Children's Health Ireland (CHI), "in a HR process and is on leave but not suspended".
- The clinician ceased complex spinal surgery in CHI last November, ceased all spinal surgery in May 2023, and ceased all surgeries in July 2023.
- Complex spinal surgery for spina bifida has stopped in CHI at Temple Street and patients transferred to CHI at Crumlin.
- 261 children are now waiting for spinal surgery across CHI sites.
Given the already small number of medical experts who can carry out such procedures here, Mr Varadkar said children may now be sent again to the UK or Germany to help alleviate waiting lists.
"I know that the clinicians and some others don't like the idea that we will be building up a service abroad when we should be building our services at home. But sometimes that's the best option for children," he said.
Late last night, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed the HSE has now been told to explore "all options" to increase capacity for the surgeries "including outsourcing care both at home and abroad". He said he has been told the outsourcing is expected to start this year.
Leo Varadkar said of the controversy at CHI at Temple Street: “I do think we have to consider the possibility that there was a wider failure of clinical governance here.
"The kinds of things I'm hearing about and reading about, if they're true, extend well beyond malpractice. Children were harmed as a result of that."
Ciaran Tansey of Damien Tansey Solicitors who is representing a number of the families said: "They are getting fed the information from the hospital on a piecemeal basis. Some have been through several procedures, there have been sepsis issues involved and so on, leading to complications.”
Among the issues under investigation is the insertion of a device unapproved for this use.
Asked if his clients were informed that it was unauthorised before the device was used, he said: “No, in my experience they were not. Based on my instructions, they were not.
It is understood approved devices should function well, not lead to infection and last for the required time.
“Unfortunately a lot of these risks have come to pass with the children,” he said.
"And even where they have not come to pass, the hospitals are acting now to remove the devices, these springs. They are obviously not confident the springs will hold in the children’s backs.”
CHI said the device has been removed from two children and removal is being considered for a third.
Meanwhile families have been calling CHI hospitals fearing further delays to already long waiting lists.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health last night said: "The department and the HSE regret that children can experience a long waiting time for scoliosis treatment, and they remain conscious of the burden that this places on them and their families.
- CHI Helpline: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm at: 01-409-6117