Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this important case. It concerns a young boy in my constituency. He is 14 years of age and he needs a serious operation to control severe scoliosis of his spine, which has been described as potentially life-threatening because the curvature in his spine is now affecting his lungs and his heart.

Last December, the consultant in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin decided that this boy would need this operation but he has been unable to give the parents, and the young boy, a date on which it can be carried out. This boy's life could be at risk from something as simple as a chest infection from a cold or flu, and the severe pain he is enduring on a daily basis is causing untold anxiety, worry and heartache for his parents who are watching him in distress. They are looking at his condition deteriorate in front of their eyes. They are helpless in getting a solution for him.

Last week they had a return visit and the consultant said that from an initial assessment this boy's condition had worsened since the examination last December but he was unable to give a commitment for the surgery. I have contacted Crumlin hospital and the consultant has said the reason for the delay is due to the closure of St. Joseph's Ward, where there is severe limitation on the orthopaedic beds that will be required to aid this boy's recovery from surgery. This is a difficult position for the consultant and for his staff. There are other children who are deteriorating and have to be progressed more urgently, and their needs are being addressed.

There is also a limit on the number of patients who can be treated because they have to be put on a traction bed in St. Brigid's Ward after the surgery. There are currently two such beds. One consultant operates one and the other, who is the consultant dealing with the child in my constituency, has the other. There is severe limitation on bed space, and that is adding to the difficulties.

I would like the Minister to indicate what can be done for the boy in this case. Is it possible to get the procedure done outside the country under the National Treatment Purchase Fund? This boy has been on the waiting list for quite some time. His health is deteriorating. He is in constant pain. A cold or flu could be potentially life-threatening for him. I find it heartbreaking to deal with the parents who continue to get the same reply that nothing can be done due to cutbacks. The facilities and the services are not available for him and he is deteriorating on a daily basis in front of his parents' eyes. That is causing huge concern and distress, and I share their helplessness and frustration. They are intent on doing something for their child to improve his quality of life.

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney.

By way of giving some background detail, hospital care for children is provided in Dublin at three hospitals: Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, the Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, and the National Children's Hospital, Tallaght. The priority of the Health Service Executive and hospital management is to ensure that services for children at each hospital are maintained at an optimum level.

Scoliosis is a very distressing and disabling condition for young patients and their families. Corrective surgery for scoliosis is carried out where it is clinically indicated. Last year, the HSE and the paediatric hospitals put in place measures to assess the clinical position of children with scoliosis attending Our Lady's Children's Hospital with a view to determining the most appropriate treatment in each case, including surgery where indicated. Those children requiring surgery have had their pre-operative assessments completed and surgery has been assigned based on clinical priority.

To date in 2010, in excess of 125 scoliosis procedures have been carried out in Our Lady's Children's Hospital and approximately 30 have been undertaken in the Children's University Hospital, Temple Street. Some 46 patients are currently on the waiting-list for treatment in Our Lady's Children's Hospital.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund has agreed to fund eight paediatric scoliosis surgery cases in 2010. The surgery will be carried out in Cappagh hospital; Our Lady's Children's Hospital is at present working to identify the patients who will be treated under this arrangement. The three hospitals are continuing to work together to address these issues. In addition, the HSE has informed me that a working group involving the three hospitals and chaired by the HSE is working on all the processes involved in treating children who have scoliosis and require surgery. That group is working to ensure the best use of resources in the three hospitals to address this issue. It is also working on the involvement of other hospitals outside Dublin in the case of patients who have been operated on to help increase the surgery rates in the three Dublin hospitals concerned.

Preparation for corrective surgery for scoliosis includes pre-operative assessment and may involve HALO traction. HALO traction is used in preparation for spinal surgery. It involves fitting a frame to the head, neck and body in order to immobilise the area. Patients may be in traction for six to eight weeks before they are ready for the next phase of treatment, which is the actual surgery.

Treatment of this type requires extensive physical space around each bed and, as a result, only a limited number of patients can be treated at any one time. Our Lady's Children's Hospital currently has two patients in HALO traction.

In terms of the specific case mentioned by the Deputy, I am not aware of the full detail and I do not want to give any false commitments because there is a waiting list but the reply is a standard reply and I would prefer to have a meeting with the Deputy some time tomorrow, if that was suitable to her, to discuss the case in more detail. I emphasise it is not at my discretion to allow someone jump a waiting list but there are more important aspects to the Deputy's presentation than is contained in the response and therefore I would like to discuss it with her some time tomorrow afternoon.

Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister.