The “static” number of children on a waiting list for spinal surgery is “disappointing”, and concerns have been raised about the challenges to “significantly” reducing lists by the end of the year, according to a taskforce monitoring the speciality.
In May, the paediatric spinal taskforce held a meeting on the provision of care for children with scoliosis and spina bifida. Advocates and representatives from the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health were in attendance.
Minutes of the meeting, which were recently published online, show an update on the implementation of recommendations from the report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) into the unapproved use of springs in children.
At the time, the nine recommendations for Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) were broken down into 32 sub-actions, of which more than half were complete and a further 37.5 per cent being partially complete or in progress.
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David Moore, chair of the spinal surgery management unit in CHI, said at the end of April that there were 230 patients on the spinal surgery waiting list, marking “no improvement from the start of the year”.
There were also seven patients on the Cappagh spinal surgery waiting list at this time.
“It was acknowledged that the static waiting list number was disappointing. Lots of surgeries had happened (174), and it was noted that 161 children have been added to the surgical waiting list year to date compared to 156 for the same period last year,” the minutes of the meeting state.
“While acknowledging all the good work that was ongoing, concerns were raised around the task of reducing the waiting list numbers. At the current rate, the number of surgeries in 2025 won’t be significantly greater than in 2024, and if the output does not outperform the numbers being added to the waiting list a substantial reduction will be difficult to achieve.”
The most recent figures for the CHI waiting list show a slight improvement on the April figure, with 225 children waiting at the end of September.
Between January and September, 387 spinal surgeries have been carried out, an increase on the 365 conducted during the same time last year. In the same time frame, 415 procedures have been added to the waiting list.
CHI said a new spinal surgeon began work in August, and this is expected to increase the number of surgeries.
CHI and its spinal services have been under intense scrutiny this year, with a number of reports highlighting patient safety concerns.
Another independent report, by UK expert Selvadurai Nayagam, is expected to be published early next year.
The Government recently announced an inquiry would be carried out into spinal care and that CHI will be brought back under the aegis of the HSE.
