Surgery crisis ‘could kill children’

A CHILD could die every day as a result of vital heart surgery being postponed, medical sources have warned.

Two-year-old Róisín Ruddle died in her mother’s arms last July 1 just hours after her heart surgery was cancelled at Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin. An independent review of the events surrounding the Co Limerick girl’s death got underway yesterday. The report by the three-member panel is expected within the next month.

Medical sources yesterday said the hospital is still not in a position to cope with an influx of emergency patients.

Last Monday week there were three emergency admissions in addition to two elective procedures, pushing available staff to the limit of their capabilities.

By 11pm four of the five patients had undergone vital heart surgery while one of the emergency admissions had to wait until the following day for their operation.

“There could have been a repeat last week of what happened on June 30 last (when Róisín’s heart surgery was cancelled),” one medical expert warned yesterday. While the cardiac team was able to schedule children for surgery at a time when they are considered to be best able to cope, it was impossible to predict the number of emergency admissions on the day.

“It is not a waiting list problem. The problem is trying to deal with emergencies as they come in as well as the elective work.”

There are 44 children awaiting cardiac surgery, compared with 50 last Christmas. Money is being arranged through the National Treatment Purchase Fund to send patients to Britain and the US for treatment. “The Eastern Regional Health Authority are prepared to spend up to 2m to treat patients abroad but that won’t resolve the present issues at home.”

At present, there are only enough nurses to staff up to 15 of the 21 intensive care unit beds. While the hospital has seven new theatres, there are only enough nurses to run five of them. A spokesperson for the Department of Health said the resources were there to solve the staffing problem. While some positions could be filled, others could not because of the shortage of nursing staff.

Shay McConnell, of Heart Children Ireland, a support group for families of children with congenital heart defects, said his eight-year-old son, Eoghan, needed the same treatment as Róisín and expected he would probably be scheduled for surgery soon.

Like a lot of parents, he is not looking forward to having to travel to Britain or the US for his son’s treatment.

“It puts huge stress on both the child and the parents involved and makes an already anxious period in their lives even worse,” he said.

Mr McConnell said Heart Children Ireland was established as a support group for families but had now become a lobby group as well. “We want our children to be treated at home. We also want better facilities for them. The hospital hasn’t even got a dedicated cardiac ward so they can be better protected at a time when they are prone to infection.”