Families not surprised €19m scoliosis fund was spent on other services
Una Keightley, co-lead Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy group, said they sent an email to the minister saying: 'We found CHI to be wholly unprepared, presenting a lack of content, definitions, and no tangible plans for moving forward.' File photo: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos
A row has broken out over €19m given to Children’s Health Ireland for spina bifida and scoliosis care after the health minister revealed it was spent “far more broadly” on other services.
Parents whose children are directly affected have said they warned the Government about this problem within weeks of the announcement in early 2022.
It was meant to ensure no child would wait longer than four months for a spinal operation by the end of 2022. However, up to this week about 70 children are waiting longer than that, the Dáil was told on Thursday.
When parents met Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) in March 2022 they were shocked by “a disconnect” between the hospital's plans and what had been announced, Una Keightley said.
Ms Keightley, co-lead Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy group, shared emails with the which they had sent to key individuals including the minister’s office.
On March 9, they wrote: “We found CHI to be wholly unprepared, presenting a lack of content, definitions, and no tangible plans for moving forward. There was a complete disconnect from what Minister Donnelly expressed.”
They repeated these concerns on July 22 that year and in other emails or messages. However, a HSE audit was only commissioned in February this year.
Ms Keightley said they were saddened but not surprised by the minister’s admission on Wednesday the money was not mainly spent on their children.
“We were not listened to then, and we are not being listened to now,” she said.
The family’s concerns were raised in the Dáil by Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty who described comments by Tánaiste Micheál Martin in explaining the situation as “a list of incompetencies in terms of the Minister for Health”.
The shocking details had emerged during discussion on the Health (Scoliosis Treatment Service) Bill 2024 in the Seanad.
While Mr Donnelly has not yet received the audit report, he now understands: “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, for example, among over 200 staff hired, very few work in spinal services. While a record number of spinal surgeries were done in the last two years there was a 42% increase in referrals last year compared to 2018.
A spokeswoman for CHI said: “It would be premature to comment until this review is complete and the HSE’s report is received.”
“Overall, CHI’s spinal surgery activity is meeting the targets set in the 2024 Spinal Action Plan, with spinal fusions ahead of schedule. However, patient wait times remain a concern.” Wait times are influenced by the child’s health as well as pressures on beds caused by emergency admissions and other factors.
