Health chiefs have been warned the “gloves will come off” if they break promises to children with scoliosis not to cancel more life-changing operations.
The Irish Mirror reported in August past how the crucial surgeries were cancelled at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin.
A pledge was given to reschedule the surgeries as a matter of urgency – and Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland (SBHI) says there can be no more delays.
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SBHI chief Gerry Maguire told the Irish Mirror: “Surgeries are on target and we will fight for that.
“We will give them the chance to prove that the operations will happen – but if there are any more delays, the gloves will come off.
“I will not tolerate that.”
Mr Maguire is to meet Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), which operates the Temple Street hospital, in the coming week.
Over 30 children with scoliosis were waiting for the operations while another group of children with spina bifida were also due complex orthopaedic surgery.
CHI defended the decision but said it was “sincerely sorry”.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and the then HSE chief Paul Reid vowed to improve the situation.
The Government pledged €19m funding in February past to boost services and to reduce the number of scoliosis patients.
Children and their families were promised that everyone who had been waiting for over four months – estimated to be 94 patients – would get appointments by the end of this year.
Mr Maguire said yesterday: “Since I became CEO in July 2021, I have been contacted by a number of families whose children’s operations were postponed.
“Some €19m was provided so that these operations could take place as a matter of urgency.
“We are monitoring that situation. We know that key staff were away and that caused issues such as theatre time which exacerbated the situation.
“It is crucially important for these children to get surgery at a young age.
“The lack of State services is terrible and the postponement of children’s surgeries is an example of that shame.
“Any surgery delayed, whether for medical or administrative reasons, will have long-term consequences.
“I am meeting Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) next week.”
Temple Street, which is an acute paediatric hospital that cares for 145,000 sick children every year, explained in August that the cancellations occurred when increased demand for surgeries put pressure on resources like beds, staff, and theatre capacity.
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