Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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22. To ask the Minister for Health the Health Service Executive's plans for clearing the scoliosis waiting lists in Crumlin children's hospital in Dublin and in Galway University Hospital, including the filling of vacancies. [13669/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin is the largest provider of scoliosis surgery for children and young people. On 4 May 2016, there were 172 patients on the waiting list at Crumlin.

In order to address waiting lists at Crumlin, over €1m was allocated in 2015 for additional consultant posts and support staff, and 10 additional WTE staff are now in place including a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, consultant anaesthetist, clinical nurse specialist and other nursing staff. Separately an additional €1m approximately has been allocated in 2016 on a full year basis for orthopaedics and trauma to address waiting lists for orthopaedics in the Children's Hospital Group. This funding will also assist in improving access for scoliosis patients.

Capital funding has also been provided by the HSE for a new theatre on site at Crumlin to expand capacity further. Construction is now complete and the building is currently being commissioned with handover expected in the coming weeks. The 2016 Service Plan specifically provides for support for the new theatre capacity and the continued development of paediatric scoliosis services to address ongoing capacity deficits.

External capacity has also been identified in order to address waiting times while internal capacity is being built up, and patients from Crumlin have been transferred to other hospitals in Ireland and the UK, where capacity is available and where it is clinically appropriate. The HSE continues to work actively with Crumlin and the Children's Hospital Group to improve access to spinal surgery for children and young people.

I am advised there are currently 7 patients on the public waiting list for scoliosis procedures at Galway. Galway University Hospital is working actively to identify additional theatre sessions when available to address current waiting list needs.

I share the Deputy's concern that difficulties in accessing such a vital service as scoliosis surgery are resolved. There is a very active programme of measures underway to address the underlying issues speedily and comprehensively.