Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, possibly.

Children's Health Ireland, CHI, continues to examine and implement new and innovative ways to provide orthopaedic care to patients. The strategic alliance between CHI and Cappagh orthopaedic hospital is considered a key to CHI being able to address the current challenges to access elective and age-specific orthopaedic care. CHI has advised the Department of Health that the HSE has agreed to the proposals to recruit additional paediatric theatre nurses and additional support.

Senator Boyhan proposed arranging a meeting with the Minister and indicated he wants to hear timelines for treatment at that meeting. I will convey both those to requests to the Minister. Senator Ó Donnghaile made a similar point.

I welcome the expansion of paediatric orthopaedic services this year at Cappagh orthopaedic hospital and the appointment of a paediatric clinical director to provide clinical governance to this service. This strategic alliance will be of great benefit in the interim as CHI prepares to move to the new children’s hospital. CHI has informed the Department of Health that in 2022, it plans to undertake 196 day cases, 540 inpatient appointments and 1,200 outpatient appointments at Cappagh orthopaedic hospital.

Senator Conway articulated the difficulties of children having to appear in the media and stated he wants to get results in respect of treatment for young people, something with which I very much concur.

Cappagh orthopaedic hospital is not the only additional resource being used to improve access to paediatric orthopaedics. The HSE has a procurement framework in place seeking additional private sector capacity, including for patients with scoliosis. It should be noted, however, that scoliosis procedures require detailed pre-operative, multidisciplinary planning to meet the needs of the patient. The complexity of scoliosis surgery and the specific medical staffing and infrastructural needs for such procedures mean outsourcing to private hospitals is not often a suitable alternative. In addition, private hospitals with a facility to treat patients are limited. For these reasons, it is of central importance that CHI and the HSE continue to invest in additional capacity and staffing for orthopaedic services. I look forward to the benefits the opening of the new children's hospital will bring to orthopaedic services and wider paediatric services.

Senator Seery Kearney outlined the case of Callum Rodgers, his difficulties and the fact he was due to be seen in July or August but still has not got a date. Senator Ó Donnghaile mentioned his case too. I will raise it with the Minister.As has been said, Callum does not have time. I hope we can get more urgency in respect of this matter. We have tried to investigate what is happening there.

In terms of accessing other forms of additional capacity, Children's Health Ireland has advised the Department that recent experience has demonstrated that previous strategies that looked at outsourcing spinal patients to external providers in the UK and Europe have not been overly successful. This is primarily because spinal patients often require additional follow-up and the management of post-operative complications on return to Ireland. Such issues are also now compounded for patients by the need to travel overseas, especially during Covid-19. As a result, it is imperative that we continue to seek solutions within the current health system to provide the activity and services needed to reduce orthopaedic waiting times.

Senator Marie Byrne mentioned that there should be funding for other hospitals to free up theatres. Hopefully, we can work on that. Senator McGreehan said that the HSE needs to do its duty and get these appointments done.

Senator Pauline O'Reilly mentioned that surgeries need to be spread out because there are no surgeons in the west, the mid-west or the south west. This is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Any plans to improve waiting times are reliant on good-quality, accessible and transparent data. Improving the waiting times that children experience is just one element of a wider plan to reform and improve acute hospital waiting lists.

To support the work of the task force, €350 million has been committed to improving waiting times in 2022. The latter includes €200 million in additional funding for the HSE. In addition, there is funding of €150 million for the National Treatment Purchase Fund.

I would like to conclude by reaffirming the Government's commitment to improving the waiting times that children and all other patients experience when accessing hospital appointments and procedures. Through continued investment and detailed and strategic planning, we will continue to dedicate time and resources in order that patients will not be left waiting on lists, but, rather, will be provided with their procedures in a clinically suitable timeframe and in line with the targets provided for in Sláintecare.