Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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396. To ask the Minister for Health the international best practice wait times for scoliosis first assessments; if they are being adhered to; if not, the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27885/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The long-term strategy to develop sustainable scoliosis services from 2018 has been prioritised by my Department and the HSE in the 2018 HSE National Service Plan. An additional €9 million has been provided to the HSE in 2018 specifically to develop paediatric orthopaedic services, including further increasing access to scoliosis services. The Children's Hospital Group committed to a two-year service development plan to implement an orthopaedic service that provides timely access for Outpatient and In-Patient services. The HSE has confirmed that as part of this plan it will maintain the 4-month target in 2018 and beyond, which is international best practice, for all patients who are clinically deemed to require surgery now.

In addition, a Paediatric Scoliosis Services Co-Design group is in place, which includes clinicians, hospital staff and representatives from the scoliosis advocacy groups, to design a comprehensive, contemporary, and patient-centred approach to the delivery of scoliosis services.

The Scoliosis Co-Design Group is developing criteria for surgery based on clinical grounds and national and international best practice to ensure that children/young adolescents have surgery when clinically indicated for their individual case and within a time period that does not cause clinical deterioration of their condition.

There is a desire and a requirement to facilitate timely surgery. This will be enabled with the increased investment in the service in 2018, aimed at stabilising and expanding the current capacity, to meet the demand for timely scoliosis treatment.

Furthermore, two new consultant posts for paediatric orthopaedics have been provided for in the HSE 2018 National Service Plan. The two new posts are currently being processed through the Consultant Appointment Approval Committee process and are expected to be appointed in quarter 4 of 2018. These posts are allocated to Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin and Temple Street Children’s University Hospital for paediatric orthopaedics and are expected to have a positive impact on current patient waiting times.