Government 'considering' sending scoliosis waiting-list patients abroad
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said clinicians were 'cautious' about sending children abroad because multiple surgeries may be required. Picture: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ie
The Government has said it is "considering" the possibility that children who are on waiting lists for scoliosis surgery could travel abroad for it.
Three hundred and ten children are awaiting scoliosis surgery across Children's Health Ireland, according to figures released by the Scoliosis Advocacy Network.
Ninety of those have been waiting for more than four months — which is the HSE's target for an absolute maximum waiting time — with a total of 32 children on suspended waiting lists.
Some children, the network says, have been on suspended waiting lists for two years.
The issue was raised in the Dáil by People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Gino Kenny, who labelled the situation "completely unacceptable".
Mr Kenny said: "The minister and his colleagues want to reduce the waiting time to as close as possible to the four-month target but that target is clearly being missed. This surgery is complicated."
He raised the possibility of children travelling abroad to receive the surgery or potentially considering medical facilities where surgery could take place, outside of the three CHI hospitals (Temple Street, Crumlin and Cappagh)
Mr Donnelly replied in the affirmative, but noted clinicians were "cautious" about that option.
He said: "It happened before. Children went to Germany before the covid-19 pandemic.
"Nonetheless, we are looking at what is called outsourcing."
Mr Donnelly said a "good relationship" was being built between the CHI and Boston Children's Hospital in the US.
He explained: "What they call insourcing is also being looked at, which means that rather than the children and their families having to go abroad, potentially several times, we would bring additional consultants and expertise to Ireland and use the capacity we have so they can get the service they need here."
Meanwhile, new data published on Friday showed there are 588,813 patients waiting for a first hospital outpatient consultation.
Some 82,843 patients are waiting on an appointment for inpatient treatment, while 57,349 patients are classified as 'suspended'.
Patients who are temporarily unfit or unable to attend due to clinical or personal/social reasons are categorised as 'suspension'. The suspension category is also used where patients are being treated through various insourcing or outsourcing Initiatives.
The figures were published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
