Child’s wait for surgery had ‘devastating consequences’

Children’s Health Ireland 'failed to adequately communicate with Ivy and her father between 2016 and 2020 with regard to her medical care planning and pathway'. File picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

A 17-year-old girl with cerebral palsy saw her spine deteriorate from an angle of over 30 degrees to an angle of 135 degrees as she waited five years for life-changing spinal fusion surgery, a report from the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) has found.

The girl, referred to as ‘Ivy’ in the investigation, suffered devastating physical and emotional consequences as she awaited the procedure.