As you will be aware there are ongoing investigations into practices and procedures of Children’s Health Ireland relating to children living with Spina Bifida and/or Hydrocephalus and their hospital treatments. One of these was a HSE Internal Audit Review on the Implementation of Scoliosis and Spina Bifida Action Plans 2022 and 2023. The full Report is available on the HSE website here:

HSE INTERNAL AUDIT REPORT

The significant points of the Report are-

• Funding provided to CHI for the provision of services to patients with Scoliosis and Spina Bifida was used for the purposes intended.
• The report notes the delay in bringing on board the majority of the additional capacity until late 2023/early 2024 and the impact of this delay on providing much needed services for children at CHI.
• The report further notes that CHI clinicians highlighted definite improvements in the service over the last number of months.
• The Paediatric Spinal Taskforce set up by the Minister earlier this year has helped drive these reform initiatives, as well as improvements in communications and engagement with patients, families and advocates. As a member of this Taskforce, I am determined to help achieve improvements in services both in hospitals and in the community for people living with Spina Bifida and/or Hydrocephalus and to develop a trusted and user-friendly model of transition from childhood to adult services. These were critical issues which I wanted addressed before agreeing to be a member of the Taskforce.
• There are a number of service reform initiatives in train to improve paediatric spinal services and increase capacity for spinal surgery.
• This includes maximising capacity in CHI through the implementation of an extended operating theatre day and ringfencing theatre for spinal surgery.
• CHI is also running additional outpatient clinics where new spinal outpatient referrals are being seen, in addition to the patients who are being seen at existing clinics.
• The HSE continues to engage with CHI, the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, the Blackrock Clinic, and the NTPF to co-ordinate national outsourcing opportunities for both spinal and non-spinal orthopaedic work to ensure maximum capacity for complex spinal surgeries in CHI.
• Arrangements for international outsourcing with Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York and Great Ormond Street Hospital in London have been finalised and children are currently receiving care abroad under this initiative. I was insistent on being assured that this solution was viewed as being temporary and must be completely user-friendly for those availing of it.

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Gerry Maguire, Chief Executive Officer of Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland