Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2015
419. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health his plans to develop a national programme to deal with paediatric spinal conditions, in terms of providing personnel and operating theatres including a dedicated surgery theatre for paediatric patients with scoliosis and other spinal conditions, particularly in view of the unacceptable delays at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2471/15]
View answerSpinal conditions, including scoliosis, in children and young people are predominantly managed at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin (OLCHC). It is acknowledged by all that waiting times for surgery are unacceptable and the Children's Hospital Group, OLCHC and the HSE are actively working to address them as quickly as possible and exploring all short, medium- and long-term options to increase capacity.
I am pleased to say that funding has been allocated in the 2015 Service Plan to facilitate the appointment of an orthopaedic surgeon, anaesthetist and support staff to maximise utilisation of available theatre sessions in OLCHC. This is part of a total of approximately €5m being provided for the overall development of orthopaedic infrastructure nationally, which also includes an additional consultant orthopaedic surgeon for Cork University Hospital with a special interest in paediatrics. This will facilitate reduced referral rates of children to services in the Dublin area thus freeing up capacity there.
In regard to theatre capacity, the HSE is working with hospitals to establish the extent to which existing theatre capacity in Tallaght Hospital and Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital could be made available to children for whom it is deemed clinically appropriate (in the case of Cappagh, likely to be a small cohort), focusing on level of complexity and age so that the right surgery in the right place is undertaken. The HSE has also begun an appraisal of options to increase interim paediatric orthopaedic theatre capacity in advance of the transition to the new children’s hospital.
