Thirty-eight children with scoliosis or spina bifida who were waiting more than four months for surgery have been offered treatment abroad since an international scheme began last year.
Last summer, the then minister for health, Stephen Donnelly, announced that children would be able to avail of treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London or the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York in an attempt to deal with a backlog of children awaiting spinal care in the State.
In one of his last communications in his role as minister in January, Mr Donnelly issued a section 10 letter to the Health Service Executive, providing a legal direction to ensure all children waiting longer than four months for surgery at the end of December last were offered this option if it was deemed clinically suitable.
There were 56 children waiting longer than four months at the time.
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A spokeswoman for Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), which operates paediatric healthcare services in the State, said that by the end of 2024, 31 patients waiting longer than four months for spinal surgery in CHI were deemed “clinically suitable” for surgery abroad, and these families were contacted.
This was more than half of those waiting long term on the waiting list, she said. A total of 16 of these patients have since had their surgery in Britain or the United States.
In 2025, a further seven patients were deemed clinically suitable to explore the option, and their families were contacted, she added.
The spokeswoman said a “small number” were interested, and a “smaller number” ultimately decided to proceed.
The spokeswoman said not all patients who have been waiting for spinal surgery for longer than four months are clinically suitable to travel abroad for surgery.
“They may have complex care needs, they may not be physically able to travel on a long-haul flight, they may have socio-economic factors to consider, their consultant in Ireland may recommend against it or the team in the treating hospital abroad may recommend against it,” she said.
The orthopaedic unit in CHI has been under pressure in recent years due to long waiting lists for treatment, with many children experiencing significant pain and a deterioration in their quality of life due to worsening spine curvature while awaiting intervention.
Last month, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) published a report on the implantation of unapproved metal springs into three children with scoliosis in Temple Street Hospital, Dublin.
The use of these springs was described as “wrong” by the watchdog, who said there was no ethical or managerial approval, nor was there informed consent from patient families.
CHI and the HSE apologised to the affected families, and intend to implement the recommendations contained in the report. Two further reports on children’s surgeries are due to be completed soon.
