Consultants call for full systemic review of spinal surgeries

A spokesperson for the Irish Hospital Consultants Association said justifiable concerns have been raised regarding both the terms of reference and who the review is ultimately reporting to, regarding spinal surgery reviews.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has called for adjustments to be made to allow for a full systemic review of spinal surgeries.

The IHCA has also called for €4bn in the upcoming budget to build and open essential additional hospital beds, theatres, diagnostics, and other facilities already announced by the Minister for Health.

The IHCA, which represents over 95% of hospital consultants in Ireland said the external review being commissioned is of “utmost importance”, first and foremost for the patients concerned, but also for any patient, child or adult, who is on a waiting list to have surgery in Ireland.

A spokesperson for the IHCA said justifiable concerns have been raised regarding both the terms of reference and who the review is ultimately reporting to and that it is not too late to allay these concerns.

IHCA president, Prof Rob Landers said the Taoiseach and Minister need to take firm control and make the necessary adjustments to ensure the external review is systemic in nature, with the authority to see any documentation and evidence available.

“It cannot in effect be allowed to report to itself,” he told attendees this morning at Saturday’s IHCA annual conference.

Irish Hospital Consultants Association president Professor Robert Landers called on the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health to ensure the external review is systemic in nature.  Picture: www.ihca.ie

Battling the system

Mr Landers said that scoliosis patients and their families who for decades have had to battle the system are having to do so again.

“The battle many have to go through in healthcare is real. For hospital consultants, it’s a battle for theatre time, facilities and basic equipment. A battle with antiquated systems. A battle against the impacts of later patient presentations leading to increased complexity and often a battle to be heard.

Mr Landers told attendees that it is fundamental that the review is systemic in nature because what it concludes and ultimately recommends will influence how all hospitals approach complex surgeries, innovation, risk evaluation and resourcing into the future.

“The cultural and governing environment in which healthcare professionals’ function is critical to patient outcomes. When we are dealing with serious, highly complex surgery, it matters even more,” he said.

Mr Landers said CHI was correct in commissioning a report, “However, the manner in which it did so illustrates once again the health system we battle,” he said before adding: “We heard about the importance of a no blame culture in our hospitals but there has been very little evidence of that in this instance.”

Calling for a budget allocation of €4bn, a spokesperson for the IHCA said “For too long now, consultants have been urging the Government to implement measures aimed at cutting waiting lists and filling the over 900 vacant consultant posts.”

Also Speaking at the conference, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the ongoing spinal surgery scandal demands a full and transparent response.

Echoing calls for a full systemic review, Ms McDonald said Children's Health Ireland (CHI) and the HSE cannot be allowed to handle the terms of reference, “and certainly the external review cannot report back to either body.” 

She called on the Taoiseach and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to lead and take responsibility, saying: “The outcome that we all deserve is of course, justice, accountability, some level of comfort for those injured children, for a child whose life was lost and their families.” 

Ms McDonald also called for a determined effort from Government to end “the scandalous, agonising wait that these children and their families have endured on waiting lists”.

Calling for a budget allocation of €4bn, a spokesperson for the IHCA said “For too long now, consultants have been urging the Government to implement measures aimed at cutting waiting lists and filling the over 900 vacant consultant posts.” Despite choosing medicine to battle disease, Mr Landers said consultants are left “battling with the system”.

“The battle many have to go through in healthcare is real. For hospital consultants, it’s a battle for theatre time, facilities and basic equipment. A battle with antiquated systems. A battle against the impacts of later patient presentations leading to increased complexity and often a battle to be heard,” he said.

Mr Landers said many consultants in Ireland work in suboptimal conditions with inadequate resources and structures and yet are expected to perform to the very highest international standards.

“The gap between the type of system we want versus the type of system we have feels like it’s ever widening,” he said.