Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government is working to ensure that long waiting times for scoliosis surgery are reduced. The focus is on additional resources and capacity so that more operations can be carried out every year. I have been assured by University Hospital Galway it is working to ensure that the necessary resources and arrangements are in place to address the needs of patients with scoliosis and to urgently tackle waiting lists. These include appropriate bed availability, access to diagnostics, purchase of specialist spinal equipment and access to theatre. Within the last three months, two consultant orthopaedic surgeons, comprising one replacement and one additional post, have been appointed at University Hospital Gaway to support this service. In the short term, Galway is working to assign five dedicated beds to support the service and when the new ward block which is under construction is completed, this will increase to eight dedicated beds. Unfortunately, the block will not be finished for approximately 18 months. I understand that there are seven patients at Galway who are currently breaching the maximum permissible waiting time of 15 months and that the hospital is working with the special delivery unit, or SDU, to secure their early treatment, including examining the potential to refer these patients out for surgery.

In addition to the measures underway in Galway, significant progress is being made in respect of those awaiting scoliosis surgery at Our Lady's Hospital in Crumlin. The volume of such surgeries for patients on the Crumlin list has been doubled this year. As such, it is hoped that twice as many operations will be carried out this year than were carried out last year. The HSE's acute hospitals division is continuing to work with the children's hospital group, the Saolta hospital group and individual hospitals to provide guidance and support and, where appropriate, to engage with all parties who can contribute to improving access to spinal surgery.

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