Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas le Deputy McDonald and I thank her for raising what is an extraordinarily important, stressful, and worrying issue for many families in Ireland. As the Deputy has rightly said, I have met many of the families, there are many families that I know and many children whose faces and names I still remember. Nobody, not Deputy McDonald or me, nobody on this side of the House or on that side of the House wants to see any child waiting in pain. On that we can all absolutely agree.

The Deputy is absolutely correct in stating that when I was Minister for Health, I did place a real focus on this issue. It was said to me by the then director general of the HSE that the executive would put a plan in place to ensure that no child waited longer than four months.

That plan originated, as the Deputy correctly says, from clinical advice, and I believe similar clinical advice exists within the NHS. That was the clinical advice then and it is the clinical advice now. Of course, there can from time to time be complexities, as all of us know, as regards individual cases and multiple medical conditions and how they interact. Having said that, that is where the four months came from. What I definitely know is that by placing that focus on scoliosis, we saw a very significant reduction in the number of children waiting over four months. If we are to start Leaders' Questions by engaging in good faith, I think the Deputy will acknowledge when she looks at the figures that after I gave that commitment, the progress that was made in a short period in very significantly reducing the number of children waiting over four months was real and was felt and there were weekly reports produced. The Covid pandemic happened and waiting times worsened. Waiting times worsened for all procedures, including scoliosis.

My colleague, the Minister for Health, has been putting a real focus on this issue, continuing that work and trying to re-engage and refresh on it, including with new clinical leadership. I very much welcome the fact that he has appointed Mr. David Moore, a consultant surgeon in this area, to be a clinical lead, which all of us should welcome because I think that clinical expertise will make a real difference.

We have seen a very significant increase again in the number of spinal procedures now carried out. For example, in 2022, 509 spinal procedures were carried out. This compares with 380 in 2019. It represents a 34% increase in the number of procedures and a 22% increase for the year 2023. We now have the paediatric spinal surgery management unit in place, and so far this year, in 2024, we have seen over 120 spinal procedures take place. The Government remains absolutely committed, as I know everyone in this House does, to doing everything we humanly can to assist children with wait times and to assist their parents, who go through such a stressful and worrying time as well.

The Deputy has asked me three questions, so let me endeavour to answer them. As I have said as regards the first one, the four months remains the clinical advice and the clinical target and, therefore, that is what the Government here and governments around the world must work towards.

Second, yes, my understanding is that Mr. Moore, the consultant surgeon, is now looking at the issue the Deputy has raised as regards treatment abroad options. It is important that that is considered, and I welcome the fact that the Deputy, on behalf of parents, I think, makes that suggestion here today.

Third, I will engage with the Minister and the HSE on the idea of an independent opinion because it sounds like a suggestion made in good faith.

The Deputy should know this. This is an issue which will continue to receive extraordinary levels of care, investment and attention from the Government. I know also that the Minister for Health is convening a dedicated paediatric spinal task force with an independent chair. I know the idea of an independent chair was seen as essential by many of the advocacy groups. That independent chair is Mark Connaughton, who is a senior counsel, and the chair is now meeting with stakeholders and patient groups and finalising the terms of reference, which is another important step forward.

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