Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Aylward for raising this important matter. It is one the Deputy has consistently raised with me in this House and I know he has taken an active interest in it. The HSE is actively implementing the action plan it developed to ensure that no child will be waiting over four months by the end of the year for such surgery and is focussed on maximising all available capacity both internally within the health service and externally to achieve this target.

Additional nurses are now in post in Crumlin and Temple Street. An additional consultant orthopaedic surgeon commenced in Crumlin earlier this month. In 2017, up to the end of August, 202 scoliosis procedures were carried out in the two children's hospitals. That compares with 142 in those hospitals in the same period last year, representing a 42% increase in surgeries between the two hospitals in one year. Since February 2017, patients are also being transferred for treatment to the Mater, Cappagh and Stanmore in the UK. To date, 23 surgeries have been completed in those hospitals.

The HSE has completed an international tender for paediatric spinal fusion procedures and three hospitals were successful in their applications.

These hospitals will initiate patient reviews immediately with a view to commencing treatment in October for patients whose families take up the offer of having procedures carried out in overseas hospitals. I know that will not work for everybody but it is another option to try to provide as many avenues as possible for treatment for children who urgently need their surgery.

The HSE is also developing a forecasting model to predict, on a weekly and monthly basis, the number of patients expected to receive surgery by the end of the year. This will assist it further in monitoring the progress made in achieving the target. The overall number of patients waiting for scoliosis procedures has been reducing this year and progress continues in delivering on the HSE's four-month target to the end of 2017 in a planned, safe and sustainable manner. I really hope that once we get through this very difficult backlog, next year we will be able to ensure a sustainable situation whereby we can meet the four-month target in this country without having to outsource any procedures.

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