Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 September 2018
311. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the reason only six paediatric scoliosis patients have been sent abroad for treatment under the treatment abroad scheme in view of the backlog of cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38548/18]
View answerIn May 2017 the HSE published the Scoliosis Waiting List Update and Service Development Plan, to address waiting times for Scoliosis. Under this Plan the Children's Hospital Group used a combination of insourcing of surgical procedures within the Children’s Hospital Group (CHG) and the broader public hospital sector, as well as outsourcing initiatives, including private providers nationally and abroad.
As part of the outsourcing initiative, two hospitals in the UK and two in Europe were engaged to undertake spinal fusion surgery. In 2017, 28 surgeries were completed in these hospitals.
The Children’s Hospital Group has advised that as part of the outsourcing initiative this year families were offered the opportunity to have their children’s surgery abroad but did not avail of the offer as they did not want to travel abroad.
They further advise that one child did have their surgery abroad in 2018, this was scheduled to have taken place in late 2017 but it was deferred until 2018.
More broadly, the Children’s Hospital Group has advised that as capacity has increased in its hospitals during 2018 there has not been the demand to send patients abroad for surgery.
Furthermore, the Deputy may wish to be aware that the HSE operates the Cross-Border Directive (CBD) in Ireland. Under the terms of the Directive, patients of an EU/EEA Member State who meet the necessary criteria may opt to avail of healthcare provided under the legislation of their Member State of affiliation in another EU/EEA Member State and be reimbursed the lesser of the cost of receiving the treatment abroad, or the cost in their own Member State. The HSE advise that Scoliosis surgery is not accessible via the Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS).
In 2017 waiting times for scoliosis related surgery reduced for the first time in a number of years. This has continued in 2018 with the investment in paediatric orthopaedics this year, to include scoliosis services, which has already improved access for surgery and out-patient review to address the lengthy waiting times experienced by children and young people with scoliosis.
The impact of investment is now starting to deliver results with a consistent reduction in waiting times being recorded. The Children’s Hospital Group advise that already this year 319 spinal surgeries have been carried out and they are on course to meet the year of end target of 446 surgeries while at the same time dealing with the 291 children who have been added to the waiting list for scoliosis surgery this year.
