Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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141. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to use the Blackrock Clinic in County Dublin to provide extra theatre capacity and other facilities for the treatment of Scoliosis patients; if patients will maintain their existing position on the Crumlin Hospital waiting list; when the new arrangements will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22585/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Health I am determined that waiting times for spinal services at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin must be addressed as a priority. Accordingly, funding was allocated in the HSE Service Plan for 2015 for the appointment of an orthopaedic surgeon, anaesthetist and support staff at Crumlin. This will maximise the use of available theatre sessions in the hospital. The first of these additional staff is now in post, and recruitment for the remaining posts is in process. In addition, capital funding has been agreed for a new theatre on site at Crumlin, which will expand theatre capacity further.

As a further measure, available capacity is being identified in other hospitals and some children are being transferred for their surgery, where it is considered clinically appropriate for them. The Blackrock Clinic is one of these hospitals. Clinical criteria relating to age and complexity have been agreed for transfer of patients to Blackrock, enabling the transfer of a number of patients who meet these criteria. Some of these patients have undergone their surgery at Blackrock, while others are undergoing pre-operative assessment.

The Children's Hospital Group, OLCHC and the HSE are working together on an ongoing basis to identify all options to increase capacity further.