CHI board to remain in place despite calls for resignations 

A general view of CHI at Temple Street. The CHI board is also continuing to work on the move to the new children’s hospital — which remains under construction. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

The CHI board will remain in place and work on recommendations from a shocking Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) report despite widespread calls for their resignations.

The board met with health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill on Monday and told her they intend to implement all recommendations.

Board chairman Dr Jim Browne stepped down last week in the wake of revelations around the use of non-approved springs in surgeries for three children in CHI at Temple Street hospital.

There have been calls from opposition parties and families for all of the board to resign, but the Government and HSE have pushed back against this.

The board is also set to meet with HSE CEO Bernard Gloster on Tuesday.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill’s office said the discussion focused on how what happened “should not have been allowed to happen”. A spokesman said: 

The minister spoke to the board about the recent Hiqa report and her expectation that CHI will work with the HSE and her department to ensure that the recommendations are implemented in full as quickly as possible.

They are expected to update her on April 25 with another meeting on April 28.

While progress on waiting times has been made under the new Spinal Services Management Unit, she raised concerns about “children who continue to wait too long for care”.

This includes children waiting for outsourcing to private care in Ireland and internationally.

The CHI board is also continuing to work on the move to the new children’s hospital — which remains under construction. The latest construction completion date is now June of this year.

It would then have to be fitted out and equipped before the CHI hospitals move over there.

“The minister made clear that CHI needs to do everything in its power to ensure that the hospital is opened as safely and quickly as possible,” the spokesman said.

Mr Gloster has appealed for calm in the wake of the Hiqa report, and warned against “knee-jerk reactions” when discussing the issue during a Siptu conference.

Hiqa made nine recommendations for the HSE in addition to the recommendations for CHI, which Mr Gloster has accepted. He also said: 

Given the role of the HSE in funding CHI I want to offer a sincere and unequivocal apology to the children and families affected by these issues.

Also on Tuesday parents whose children rely on CHI for spinal care are holding a press conference to share their reaction to the report.

Mothers from the spina bifida & hydrocephalus paediatric advocacy group and the scoliosis advocacy network will speak to the media in Dublin.

They are expected to call for a wider review into all aspects of spinal care across the hospitals in the group.

Separately it was reported at the weekend CHI at Temple Street has faced protracted IT system problems. It was claimed IT staff had to enter operating theatres as surgeons could not see X-rays on screen at times.

It was also claimed in the summer of 2022, CHI at Crumlin hospital had only one IT engineer for two weeks.