Mattie McGrath calls for independent audit of paediatric pelvic surgery
Mattie McGrath raised serious concerns about the use of pelvic osteotomy in children with developmental hip dysplasia and urged a full, truly independent external medical audit. He demanded transparency, accountability and protections for families and whistleblowers, saying the audit should include independents from outside the country.
Call for an independent external audit
He welcomed the commissioning of an independent external medical audit but said two independent reviewers should be brought in from outside the country. He argued the audit must be thorough, genuinely independent and patient-focused.
Concerns over unnecessary invasive surgery
McGrath described the findings on pelvic osteotomy in children with developmental hip dysplasia as deeply troubling, raising questions about whether some young patients underwent invasive surgery unnecessarily or without proper clinical justification.
Accountability and governance failures
He characterised the issue as a systemic governance failure that must be addressed by the HSE, the Department of Health and the Ladies' House. He reiterated the need for true independence and criticised existing structures, citing the line "GHI came from the HSE, given it back to the HSE."
Support for families and whistleblowers
McGrath stressed families deserve the full truth—not sanitised summaries or bureaucratic push-offs—and called for listening to families, protecting whistleblowers and supporting those affected. He warned anything less would be an insult to children living with potential lifelong consequences.
Apology, personal reflection and urgency
He noted an apology had been offered that evening for the minister but said the situation remained unacceptable and "scary." He appealed to the moral seriousness of the issue, referencing his late brother who was a paediatrician and urging urgent change so no child faces an unnecessary procedure again.
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The findings surrounding the use of pelvic osteotomy in children with developmental hip dysplasia raised deeply troubling concerns, not just for families directly affected, but for public confidence in paediatric care in this country. We are talking about children, vulnerable young patients whose parents entrusted the health system to do the right by them. Yet serious questions now hang over whether some of these children underwent invasive surgery unnecessarily or without proper clinical justification. This is a frightening prospect and it demands a full transparency, accountability and urgency in response. I welcome the commissioning of an independent external medical audit, but I believe that we will have to go outside of the country, not in Ireland, outside of the country to get two independents. Let me be very clear, families deserve to know the full truth, not sanitised summaries or indeed bureaucratic push-offs. The audit must be thorough, independent in the truest sense and patient-focused. Anything less would be an insult to those children who may now be living with lifelong consequences. Furthermore, lack of clear national guidelines or oversight around indicators for complex orthopaedic interventions, like pelvic osteotomy, is not acceptable. This is not just a clinical matter. It is a systemic governance failure that must be addressed by the HSE, the Department of Health and the Ladies' House. We need to listen to families, protect whistleblowers and support them even, and ensure that no child is ever again subjected to any procedure that may not be necessary. And we have to have changes. It's no point to come in here. We had an apology this evening and a very profound one for the Minister of Justice. Look, this is clearly unacceptable. It's scary. My late brother was a paediatrician of some way now, and I can't imagine what he'd think of what's happening today. It's just not acceptable. And GHI came from the HSE, given it back to the HSE. Now, the fundamental failure is there. We need true independence. Thank you.
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