Families' concerns over €19m scoliosis fund being spent elsewhere 'ignored'

Stephen Donnelly said it is clear the fund was spent 'far more broadly' on other areas. Picture: PA

The Government ignored families’ concerns that a €19m fund for scoliosis care was being spent on other kinds of treatment by Children’s Health Ireland, the Dáil heard on Thursday.

It follows Health Minister Stephen Donnelly saying earlier it is now clear the fund was spent “far more broadly” on other areas than had been expected when it was allocated in 2022.

A HSE internal audit of the funding was commissioned in February and is due to report “shortly” to the minister. However he is already aware of concerns.

The fund was “mainly to be used for spinal services” although he was aware other services would benefit to a lesser degree, he told the Seanad on Wednesday evening.

CHI pledged that by the end of 2022 no child would wait longer than four months for spinal surgery, but this did not happen, he said.

Now, while he is aware of positive changes such as the addition of a fifth operating theatre to Temple St Hospital, serious concerns have emerged.

It is already clear, he said, that “the majority of the funding intended for spinal services was allocated far more broadly than for spinal services, allocated far more broadly across Children’s Heath Ireland".

He said he is not satisfied the money was allocated in line with the Government’s priority, although he accepted it was spent on children’s care.

The minister acknowledged the record-breaking number of spinal surgeries done in the last two years.

“However there was a 42% increase in referrals onto the list last year compared to 2018," he said, describing this as an “enormous increase”.

He was speaking during discussion of the Health (Scoliosis Treatment Service) Bill 2024.

Sponsored by independent senators including Michael McDowell and Tom Clonan, the bill would require the HSE to set up a specialised treatment service for the inpatient and outpatient treatment of children and adults who have spinal scoliosis.

Mr Donnelly said the Government is not opposing this bill.

Pearse Doherty said families’ concerns were ignored by the Government. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

In the latest development, the controversy was raised in the Dáil by Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty on Thursday afternoon.

He said families’ concerns were ignored by the Government and “shockingly”, it took until February for an audit to be commissioned.

Promises to meet with the families, including by Taoiseach Simon Harris, were not fulfilled, he said.

Responding, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said every effort to reduce the waiting lists must be made, with significant funding already allocated for this.

He said significantly more operations are taking place now than before, but more must be done, which is what the families need.

There’s about 70 waiting over four months for operations and that’s not satisfactory.

Mr Doherty said, however, that the Tánaiste had just “listed out a list of incompetencies in terms of the minister for health”.

He said the fund was pledged on the basis that the waiting list could be cut, but despite this, “within weeks” the families were contacting the minister with concerns, the audit having only been commissioned in February.

“Within weeks the flags were going up, within weeks the parents knew,” he said.