Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
714. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children with scoliosis and spina bifida who had surgeries cancelled from 2018 to date, broken down by month, by year, by hospital and by procedure, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35056/23]
View answerI fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled, particularly for clinically urgent procedures. While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased scheduled and unscheduled care demand.
Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
