IHCA: Doctor at centre of spinal surgery scandal acted 'with good intent'

A report from health watchdog Hiqa earlier this week found children were not protected from harm at CHI, referring to use of non-medical grade springs during three spinal surgeries. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has defended the surgeon at the centre of the spinal care controversy, saying he was “acting with good intent and in the absence of effective structures”.

A report from health watchdog Hiqa earlier this week found children were not protected from harm at CHI, referring to use of non-medical grade springs during three spinal surgeries. 

The IHCA said it recognised “the deep distress and hurt caused to the three children and their families” in this situation.

However it said “serious system-wide governance failures” across CHI showed “consultants were working under intense pressure with high patient care needs and workloads with inadequate support".

“It is within this environment that a surgeon, acting with good intent and in the absence of effective structures, endeavoured to provide innovative care to children.

"As indicated by the Hiqa report, at the time the surgeon believed the devices to be medical-grade stainless steel”.

The IHCA blamed “numerous failings” in procurement systems for not preventing this. It supports 19 recommendations issued by Hiqa.

A solicitor for one of the families described the IHCA’s stance as “brave”.

Raymond Bradley said: “The IHCA is right, there are governance issues, but the primary responsibility for inserting this particular device must lie with the surgeon if you think about it logically.” 

He also works with other families in the scoliosis and spina bifida communities. He said:

There is a lack of trust, lack of belief that the system is protecting them and caring for them. There is a belief the system is minding its own corner first rather than caring for them.

Meanwhile the Dáil heard thousands of children may have undergone painful hip surgeries unnecessarily.

Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty raised an audit examining criteria for a specific type of hip surgery between 2021 and 2023.

He said while 561 children must now be independently assessed, "that is only two years" and pushed the Government to expand the investigation's time-frame. 

He claimed the true number of children affected "could be hundreds or even thousands". He was contacted by a parent whose daughter was a patient in Temple Street in 2016.

He said a consultant diagnosed the child with hip dysplasia and was "adamant that she needed surgery" which would have required "sawing into her hip bone and reshaping the socket".

However, because the child had not shown any symptoms, they sought a second opinion from an orthopaedic surgeon in the North. It was discovered the child did not have any hip condition.

In response, Education Minister Helen McEntee said the audit is ongoing and "at the moment, there is no information to suggest that any patient safety incident has occurred".

Later Áontú's Peadar Tóibín said CHI cancelled 161 surgeries due to a shortage of intensive care beds in CHI at Crumlin and Temple Street hospitals. These included nine heart operations and 10 orthopaedic surgeries.