Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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620. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children on waiting lists and the timescale involved for the treatment of scoliosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37661/16]

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 service pressures, with most recently additional funding of €2 million provided under the HSE winter initiative specifically for scoliosis patients. The Department will continue to work with the HSE and the relevant hospitals to ensure improvements in access to spinal surgery are achieved. 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 the advocacy groups on developing a partnership approach with the hospitals and consultants to the design and planning of services for children with scoliosis.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.