Minister for Health in Ireland, Stephen Donnelly, announced that the lion’s share of the €19 million allocated specifically for spinal surgeries was utilised for broader purposes within Children’s Health Ireland (CHI). In 2022, CHI had assured Mr Donnelly that children wouldn’t be compelled to wait longer than four months for spinal surgeries within the year.
Mr Donnelly had earmarked this substantial fund to cut down waiting periods and enhance spinal and orthopaedic services. Nevertheless, the Minister informed the Seanad this week that the capital wasn’t put to use as originally intended. He expressed deep concern over the still exceedingly lengthy waiting lists for child spinal surgeries. This situation is resulting in an immense strain on both the youngsters awaiting surgeries and their families. Based on a CHI report, come April, 251 children were lined up for spinal treatments.
Certain measures were set in motion due to this funding, as explained by Mr Donnelly. These included the hiring of an additional 200 health care personnel such as nurses, consulting doctors, anaesthesiologists and radiographers. This finance also facilitated the inauguration of a fifth surgery theatre at Temple Street Hospital last year, another MRI facility, and added hospital beds at Crumlin. Furthermore, the activities at Cappagh were scaled up. Regardless, the fund didn’t achieve its objective of zero children having to endure a wait longer than four months for spinal surgery.
Questioning the allocation of this €19 million to spinal and orthopaedic services, Mr Donnelly has called for an internal audit of the HSE, backed by his discussions with multiple advocacy groups. He is still awaiting the audit’s final report. Preliminary talks, however, indicate that the main share of the funds, specifically intended for spinal services, was used for broader purposes within CHI. Mr Donnelly said he is now vigorously working with the CHI team to earmark any required resources in support of greater spinal surgeries. Mr Donnelly expressed his apprehensions to the CHI board regarding the management of spinal surgeries last month.
“The lack of appreciable cutbacks in the waiting periods for spinal operations is causing a dent in the public’s trust towards CHI,” he remarked. “It’s unsatisfactory that with the massive funding allocated to enhance diagnostic, bed, and staff numbers, the essential resources for these youngsters remain inaccessible.”