Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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6. To ask the Minister for Health further to the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 16 of 22 October 2015 in which he stated that he had put in place maximum permissible waiting times for inpatient, day-case and outpatient treatment of 18 months by 30 June and 15 months by year end, why there are 13 patients waiting for spinal surgery, two of whom have come to this Deputy's attention, who are waiting since July 2014 in Galway University Hospital; his views on whether scoliosis patients with 70% to 80% spinal curvature should be subject to these waiting times; if there should be a maximum permissible waiting time of three to six months for these patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42902/15]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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I have raised this issue over a number of months, going back to last year and even before then.

I am very involved in Crumlin Hospital. As it is in my constituency I have known many patients who have gone through it, particularly when there were cutbacks in 2010 and 2011. At the time, the then-Minister, Deputy James Reilly, said he would defend scoliosis patients and ensure the waiting lists would be reduced. I ask the Minister to reply to my question and then I will come back to address something he said earlier.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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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.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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There were nine patients waiting for scoliosis operations in University Hospital Galway in May this year and only one had surgery. We are now told that there are 13 patients on the list and that three have had a surgery since. That is not acceptable. I know two people who do not mind me saying their names and in fact have asked me to do so. Aisling has a 70% curvature of her spine and has been on the waiting list since July 2014. She is still waiting for an operation. She says she can hardly breathe and that her organs are under a great deal of stress yet she is still waiting. What is happening there? These are two people I know. The other person is a young girl named Sophie who has an 80% curvature of her spine. I received a note from her mother the other day to say that Sophie has been prescribed anti-depressants and continues to worsen. For two weeks, she has been out of school where she is an honours student. She is still waiting for surgery. This is not acceptable. I expect that all the patients who have been on the list for longer than three or six months should be sent to other hospitals or, as the Minister said, to London or wherever the operation can be carried out. That is why I have asked the question. The consultant is available to do it.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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We discussed this on an earlier question. I am not sure if the Deputy was here. As I said, the constraints in carrying out complex surgery depend on a number of things including theatre time being available, theatre nurses being available, an appropriately qualified consultant orthopaedic surgeon being available to carry out the operation and a number of other factors. What is being done is a doubling of the number of surgeries being carried out, if possible. Other hospitals are taking patients. Temple Street, for example, has taken three patients by moving some lists to Saturday working. The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital at Stanmore, London, has been asked to help out and it carried out an out-patient clinic in Crumlin on Friday, 27 November 2015. The clinic had 15 patients and Stanmore accepted 11, five of whom are long waiters. There were two families who decided not to progress with surgery on the basis of second opinions while two will be followed up with out-patient appointments in Crumlin. This accounts for the remaining four long waiters greater than 15 months. The opportunity to send patients to Stanmore with its shorter waiting times allows Crumlin to free up theatre capacity for complex patients.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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There is no excuse for a person waiting 17 months for an operation. It is 15 months for Aisling who had to get rods taken out of her back previously. Since then, she has been waiting for surgery. She is in terrible pain. The Minister cannot stand over this. He must address University Hospital Galway, albeit not so much Crumlin where issues have moved on and he is trying to deal with it. I want to be able to put down a question in one month's time on University Hospital Galway to which the Minister will reply that eight or nine of the 13 patients have been addressed and that no patient will have to wait for a scoliosis surgery for more than three months. Anything else is unacceptable. The Minister is getting away with it.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the fact that Deputy Joan Collins acknowledges the efforts and the progress being made in Crumlin. I will also take a particular interest in scoliosis surgery at University Hospital Galway. That interest will not be in an individual case but in all cases.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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They are waiting 17 months and 15 months, respectively.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It is not right that we as politicians should prioritise one individual over another. I acknowledge that the Deputy is not suggesting that and, as such, the interest I take will be in all cases not individual cases.

I am advised from Galway that within the last three months, two consultant orthopaedic surgeons, comprising one replacement and one additional post, have been appointed at University Hospital Gaway. While the hospital has limited capacity to undertake the elective aspect of the service, it is actively working to develop the elements required to support the service including in-patient beds, high-end equipment, theatre capacity and staffing from within existing resources. In the short term, Galway is working to assign five dedicated beds to support this service. When the new ward block which is under construction is completed, this will increase to eight dedicated beds.

There are ten patients in Galway awaiting scoliosis spinal surgery of whom seven have been waiting for more than 15 months. As I say, the hospital is working with the SDU to explore the potential to refer these patients to another hospital for surgery whether in Dublin or, potentially, overseas if that is an option.