Written answers

Tuesday, 8 November 2016

Department of Health

Hospital Waiting Lists

Photo of Fiona O'LoughlinFiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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378. To ask the Minister for Health the strategy and funding in place to ensure the waiting list for scoliosis patients is reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33687/16]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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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, 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 Crumlin, and further resources of €0.987m have been allocated under the 2016 Service Plan for Orthopaedics and Trauma to address service needs in Crumlin which will have a positive effect on access for scoliosis patients.

The construction of a new orthopaedic theatre in Crumlin has been completed and is commissioned. This will provide for additional scoliosis activity in 2017 but is dependent on the recruitment of additional theatre nurses. The Children's Hospital Group is proactively working on nurse recruitment to support the opening of the new theatre.

The HSE Winter Initiative 2016/2017, published on 9 September, includes €2m provided specifically for scoliosis patients to provide for scoliosis surgeries by year end for 15 paediatric cases on the Crumlin waiting list and to treat 39 adolescent/adult cases on the Tallaght Hospital waiting list.

My Department will continue to work with the HSE and the relevant hospitals to ensure improvements in access to spinal surgery. I recently met with a number of scoliosis advocacy groups to discuss their concerns following which the Children’s Hospital Group has begun a process of engagement with advocacy groups on developing a partnership approach to the design and planning of services for children with scoliosis.

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