Health Minister Stephen Donnelly anticipates that the bulk of the 138 children presently on the spinal surgery “active” waiting list will either undergo surgery or have a surgery date before the conclusion of 2024. This was conveyed through his spokeswoman.
The statement was in response to an enquiry for clarification following remarks by Limerick Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins. Collins claimed that Donnelly had told him that by the year’s end, the waiting list would be cut down by a minimum of 100 patients, leaving only 38 on the active list.
Donnelly’s office responded that 362 spinal surgeries had been accomplished as of September 27th this year. Furthermore, they stated that while 138 children are eagerly awaiting their surgery dates, 38 have been confirmed for outsourced initiatives both domestically and internationally. This includes 16 children scheduled for surgery at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh.
Recent statistics from CHI reveal that the spinal surgery waiting list contained 248 children as of September 27th. Of these, 138 were prepared for surgery and awaiting a date; 18 were allocated a surgery date; 57 were removed from the list as they required a different procedure following their first care episode or for clinical (11 patients) or personal reasons (8 patients); and 38 are set to undergo surgery in non-CHI hospitals as part of a CHI initiative.
Several global outsourcing ventures for children needing spinal surgeries have reached completion. This path might not be appropriate for every child waiting for spinal surgery, but a significant number of children and their families will have the opportunity to go overseas for their surgery. Some of the hospitals offering this option include the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York and Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, according to a statement from Minister Donnelly’s office.
Outsourcing within the nation, specifically to the Blackrock Clinic and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, is presently underway. Additionally, CHI has lengthened its operating theatre hours and established a dedicated theatre for spinal surgeries to escalate the number of procedures they perform, stated the Minister’s office.
Health Minister Donnelly has set up the Paediatric Spinal Taskforce and it is currently led by senior counsel Mark Connaughton. Among the Taskforce’s members are representatives from CHI, patient advocacy groups, the HSE, the Child Ombudsman, and the Department of Health.