'Trust is broken': Committee hears of calamity and failures by CHI over children's surgery controversy 

Children’s Health Ireland CEO Lucy Nugent arriving for the Joint committee on Health to answer questions on the treatment of children with Dysplasia and Scoliosis. She said its legal advice remains not to publish a report from 2021. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

Calamity, failures in care, broken trust, and stonewalling of parents were raised during an emotional Oireachtas Health Committee with Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) which left many questions unanswered.

The discussion focused on unnecessary hip surgeries at Temple Street and Cappagh hospitals, unapproved springs in spinal surgery, a toxic work culture, and delays in care identified in an unpublished report from 2021.

Only 72 out of about 1,800 children affected by the hip surgery controversy have so far been seen, CHI clinical director Ike Okefor confirmed. He expects it will meet the six-month deadline.

He apologised for how the opening review clinics were run, with one case involving a five-and-a-half-hour appointment.

Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane asked specific questions about care in oncology and urology in light of the unpublished 2021 report. He asked if parents of children referred to in that document as “Crumlin orphans” were told about the alleged sup-optimal care outlined.

Parents feel, he said, “stonewalled, they feel they are meeting with a wall of resistance, they say they are being failed". When he was told information was not given to them, he said it is a "failure".

CHI CEO Lucy Nugent said its legal advice remains not to publish the report.

A HSE official – Kate Killeen White, regional executive officer for Dublin Midlands – said she referred concerns in that report about use of public money to gardaí. She said CHI had not considered the problems had met the threshold for garda involvement.

Senator Tom Clonan and others asked about potential risks of infertility for children waiting too long for treatment of undescended testes, as described in that unpublished report. CHI was unable to say how many were affected. 

Ms Nugent said it sought advice on the potential impacts. “They did not meet the threshold for open disclosure,” she said.

Senator Maria Byrne raised the issue of national oversight for hip dysplasia care, asking why a Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) review into this last year had not led to a national universal screening programme.

HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said Hiqa advised a more targeted screening programme, but said the HSE is “trying to finalise a proposal” for universal screening. There is selected screening at 16 centres, he said, adding the HSE “will certainly be making the case” for expansion to the National Screening Advisory Committee.

Questions were asked about oversight of devices in light of Hiqa’s report in April on use of unapproved springs in surgeries. Former CEO Eilish Hardiman was asked to comment in light of her continuing key role in the moves to the new hospital.

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“Part of the accountability is being here today and answering the questions to the best of my ability,” she said.  

“I accept that there were weaknesses, and I’ve apologised for those particular weaknesses, we have put in structures and processes to try and address them.”  These changes include improvements in procurement.

Committee chair Padraig Rice said he was not satisfied in general and particularly on the non-publishing of reports. He asked CHI to share their legal advice on the 2021 report. “Trust is broken,” he said.

Ms Nugent and Ms Hardiman apologised to families repeatedly during heated discussions, with the new CEO pledging a new culture will take them into the national children’s hospital.