Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for highlighting this important issue and continuing to return to it, as we rightly should. The development of a sustainable scoliosis service has been prioritised by my Department and the HSE in 2018. An additional €9 million was provided to the Children’s Hospital Group, CHG, in 2018 to support the development and implementation of a sustainable and safe paediatric orthopaedic service for children and young people.

The increased investment in scoliosis has brought stability to the service and the current capacity for services has expanded. The CHG advises that 446 procedures will be delivered this year, compared to 371 in 2017, and 224 in 2016. This represents a doubling of activity since 2016. I acknowledge that it is not her word, but when the Deputy refers to manipulation, we should be clear that the number of procedures being done each year is increasing and will have doubled since 2016.

Waiting list figures for 12 October show 130 patients waiting, which includes patients who have been asked to come in for a procedure, those who have been given a date for a procedure in the near future - often one needs a date that works for the patient both clinically and logistically - and those who are waiting for a date for a procedure. This represents a significant reduction of 61 or 32% in comparison to the same week last year when the list stood at 191 patients.

The CHG advises that a number of families were offered the opportunity to have their child's surgery abroad this year but did not avail of the offer. I can fully understand why this might be the case. This year, one patient has had surgery abroad having deferred the procedure from 2017.

The CHG advises that as of 12 October there were 42 patients on the suspended list for spinal surgery across the hospital group.

The placement of patients on the suspended list for surgery is a clinical decision and is made by the treating clinician in consultation with other medical professionals, the patient and their family. Patients are placed on the suspended list for clinical reasons such as being clinically unwell and unfit for surgery, requiring further investigations and procedures prior to their scoliosis treatment, or their condition being managed conservatively and not requiring surgical intervention at this time.

Families may also request a suspension for non-clinical reasons, which is also understandable.

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