Hospital Waiting Lists

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 December 2015

Tuesday, 1 December 2015

Questions (425)

Colm Keaveney

Question:

425. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health while fully cognisant of section 6 of the Health Service Executive (Governance) Act 2013 and clarifying that this is not a request for him to intervene in the case of a person (details supplied), if he will clarify, as a matter of policy, his views on whether it is acceptable that a 14 year old patient would be left for over two years with an 80+ degree scoliosis curve, suffering significant deterioration of quality of life, general health and mental health, especially given that the delay in treatment may reduce the effectiveness of the corrective surgery; if he will identify any policy decision or funding decision he can take that will resolve the delay in cases like this, and having so identified the solution if he will implement it and if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42628/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Government is clear that long waiting times for scoliosis surgery both in Crumlin and in Galway, which have been highlighted in recent media reports, are unacceptable. I am determined that these waiting times will be addressed as a priority, through additional resources and increased capacity.

Scoliosis in children and young people is predominantly managed at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. Additional funding has been provided to Crumlin in 2015 for additional consultant posts including two consultant orthopaedic surgeons, anaesthetist and support staff. Capital funding has also been provided for a new theatre on site to expand theatre capacity further.

In the interim, patients from Crumlin are being transferred to other hospitals where capacity is available and where that is clinically appropriate. These include Temple Street, Cappagh, Tallaght and the Blackrock Clinic. External capacity has also been identified in the UK, at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital at Stanmore. These measures in total have more than doubled capacity for this surgery for patients on the Crumlin waiting list in 2015.

Additional consultant orthopaedic surgeons have also been appointed at Galway University Hospital to support the spinal service there. In the short term, Galway is planning to assign 5 dedicated beds to support this service and when the new ward block at Galway is completed, this will increase to 8 dedicated beds.

The HSE is continuing to work with the Children’s Hospital Group, Saolta Hospital Group and the individual hospitals to identify all options to increase capacity further to improve access times for surgery, including identification of external capacity where appropriate.

Question No. 426 answered with Question No. 415.