Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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1089. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting an appointment for a MRI with and without general anaesthetic; the number of children with allocated appointments in a time frame of more than six months; the furthest date of appointments allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19756/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) has advised my Department that the imaging services in the Radiology Departments of CHI are the sole providers of several imaging modalities for children who require specialist imaging, in particular, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Ultrasound which are used more in paediatric services than other imaging modalities due to their lower medical ionising radiation output. CHI at Crumlin and CHI at Temple Street provide the majority of specialist paediatric imaging, with a small amount of specific services provided in CHI at Tallaght.

MRI imaging is a major diagnostic and therapeutic service, relied on increasingly within paediatric specialities, such as, cardiology, oncology, neurology, rheumatology, orthopaedics and spinal surgery.

CHI further advises that younger children and children up to 18 years old with special needs are unable to remain still in an MRI for the lengthy periods required to complete the scan. This means they have to receive a General Anaesthetic (GA) by a Paediatric Anaesthetist and have to be observed through a recovery period post scan. Paediatric MRI services, therefore, also need to have a recovery facility with beds or access to recovery beds in the Theatre Suite. 

In relation to the specific breakdown of the waiting list for children awaiting an MRI and the timeframe of appointments.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.