Full review announced for children’s orthopaedic surgery in Ireland
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced today that there will be a full review of all children’s orthopaedic surgery in Ireland.
This follows serious safety concerns that arose from the work of one consultant operating at Temple Street Childrens Hospital.
The review of children’s orthopaedic surgery will examine how the service is run and the long delays experienced by children awaiting orthopaedic surgeries.
Regarding the review’s Terms of Reference, Minister Donnelly said they will deliberately allow for a wider look at governance and other operational matters across the CHI service.
He also stated that the appointed expert would meet with patients, families, and advocates as part of the review.
Currently, 261 children are on waiting lists at three Childrens Health Ireland sites in Dublin – Temple Street, Crumlin Childrens Hospital and Cappagh.
54 children are awaiting spinal surgery in CHI Temple Street.
The review will be carried out by Selvadurai Nayagam, the UK expert, who will also conduct an external review of serious safety concerns regarding spinal surgeries carried out at Temple Street on Spina Bifida patients by one particular consultant.
Shocking findings of an internal review revealed that non-surgically approved devices, compression springs, had been implanted in 3 young patients.
High rates of surgical complications are also reported to have arisen.
A helpline has been opened for families of children currently on surgical waiting lists.
However, staff at CHI Temple Street advise that they are not in a position to address queries about potential surgery dates at this time.
The medical negligence team at Coleman Legal LLP is highly experienced and competent in clinical negligence, particularly in children’s orthopaedic surgery.
We will discuss your situation with you in complete confidence.
If you are concerned about the clinical care that your child received while undergoing spinal surgery in Temple Street Childrens Hospital, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
We will advise you on your legal rights and support you throughout the process. Learn more.
