Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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691. To ask the Minister for Health to urgently address the waiting list crisis for the 217 children with scoliosis awaiting urgent spinal surgery (details supplied); the reason for the practice of referring children to the Blackrock Clinic and the UK and the subsequent lack of utilisation of facilities at Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital, Finglas, Dublin 11, to combat the waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24237/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Scoliosis affects approximately 1% of children and adolescents in Ireland. The management of scoliosis is complex and is determined by the severity of the curvature and skeletal maturity.

Long waiting times for scoliosis surgery are not acceptable, and my Department has been working closely with the HSE to address services pressures, particularly in Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin (OLCHC), which is the largest provider of scoliosis surgery for children and young people. Additional funding of €1.042m was allocated under the 2015 Service Plan to increase capacity at OLCHC, and an additional orthopaedic surgeon, anaesthetist, and support staff, are now in place with recruitment of a further additional orthopaedic surgeon underway. Capital funding was also provided for a new theatre on site to expand theatre capacity further, and this is currently being commissioned. The Children's Hospital Group is proactively working on nurse recruitment to support the opening of the new theatre.

In order to address waiting times in the interim, 66 patients from Crumlin have been treated at other hospitals where capacity was available and where that was clinically appropriate. These included Temple Street, Cappagh, Tallaght and the Blackrock Clinic. External capacity was also been identified at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital at Stanmore in the UK. Further potential for additional external capacity to address waiting times is being examined.

My Department will continue to work with the HSE and the relevant hospitals to ensure improvements in access to spinal surgery.