Patient groups says families may boycott HSE review of spinal surgery 

The advocacy groups claim the HSE and Children’s Health Ireland are 'attempting to scapegoat' doctors instead of addressing wider problems in spinal care at Temple Street hospital. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

Patient groups representing children with spina bifida and scoliosis say their families may boycott a HSE external review into safety concerns around complex spinal surgery in Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street, Dublin.

They also claim the HSE and Children’s Health Ireland are “attempting to scapegoat” doctors instead of addressing wider problems in spinal care. Their comments follow a week of controversy over revelations in reports published by the hospital group this week and a commitment by the HSE to run an external review into problems identified in those reports.