Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 June 2018
364. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the reason there has been no activity regarding outsourcing to other hospitals since 2017 in view of the fact that over 84 children are waiting over four month targets; and the reason there is no letter or information sent to parents to inform them regarding outsourcing (details supplied). [26504/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing the provision of significant additional resources last year, firm foundations have been laid and significant results achieved since the establishment of the Paediatric Scoliosis Services Co-Design Group. The intense efforts of 2017 primarily focused on addressing legacy issues. This involved the introduction of a number of short-term measures, including the outsourcing of surgeries abroad.
As part of the outsourcing initiative 46 surgeries were performed in 2017 at Cappagh and the Mater Hospitals, Stanmore and Portland Hospitals in the UK and St Franziskus Hospital in Germany. For those patients and their families who opted for overseas treatment, they have had a positive outcome and experience. These contracts are still in place between the HSE and the outsourcing hospitals for 2018.
In addition to outsourcing surgeries to specialist centres in the UK and Europe, other initiatives introduced resulted in an increase in public capacity in terms of additional theatre sessions at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin (Crumlin), Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital (Cappagh) and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (Mater).
In 2017, 22 patients opted to remain on the Crumlin list with their treating consultant rather than taking up offers of other treatment options in Ireland and overseas. Some of these patients have now had their surgery and others are continuously under review in relation to a plan. While no families have availed of the offer for treatment outside of Ireland thus far in 2018, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin will be contacting families within the coming week to offer them outsourcing in the UK and Germany. The Children's Hospital Group (CHG) advise that their focus for 2018 is on reducing the backlog and the unacceptable waiting times for children and young people and ensuring that those patients, who require surgery, receive it. The CHG's plan for the year ahead in partnership with the clinicians and all other stakeholders is to drive further progress in reducing waiting times by developing a long term sustainable and safe paediatric model of care for paediatric orthopaedic services which will ensure that clinical criteria will determine the timeframe for the delivery of care.
In relation to the issuing of letters to patients, as this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
