Carol Nolan denounces decade-long failure on children's scoliosis care
Carol Nolan criticised ongoing failures in scoliosis services, saying waiting lists and unmet promises since 2017 have left children and families betrayed. She challenged the minister and health authorities to explain staffing, theatre capacity and why earlier plans did not deliver.
Longstanding concerns raised
Carol Nolan recalled submitting parliamentary questions in April 2017 about waiting lists for children with scoliosis and asked for details of numbers on waiting lists and steps being taken to ensure timely treatment. She said she was told improvements were a priority and that Ireland would be brought in line with NHS waiting times in the UK.
Promises and action plan failed to deliver
Nolan highlighted the Scoliosis Waiting List Action Plan 2017, which was developed jointly by the HSE and the Children's Hospital Group, and said it has failed to deliver. She noted that some children were identified as clinically appropriate to have surgery in other hospitals such as the Matter, Kappa and Temple Street but that overall progress has been insufficient.
Staffing and capacity questions
She pressed the minister for figures on how many additional nurses and consultants have started since 2017, arguing that without those staff there cannot be the necessary increase in theatre capacity. Nolan said answers on staffing levels and theatre availability are essential to resolving the backlog.
Impact on children and families
Nolan said the situation has got "immeasurably worse" and described the pain endured by children and their families, compounded by a deep sense of betrayal and abandonment by successive governments. She called the suffering and stress caused to families scandalous and said public confidence in those services has been eroded.
Demand for accountability and urgent action
Pressing for immediate measures, Nolan asked whether the continued failings represent incompetence, indifference or systemic dysfunction and urged that the issue be addressed quickly to restore confidence and relieve children who continue to suffer.
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Minister, I have been raising issues on scoliosis since at least April 2017 when I initially submitted parliamentary questions to the then Minister for Health and now tarnish to Simon Harris. At that time I asked for details of the current waiting lists for children with scoliosis, the number of children on the waiting list for treatment and the steps that the then Minister was taking to ensure scoliosis patients receive treatment in a timely manner. I was told that at that time improvements in scoliosis services were absolutely a priority for the government and for the HSE and that steps were being taken to bring Ireland in line with the waiting times of the NHS in the UK. We all know what has happened to that commitment and to those priorities. Since then the situation has got immeasurably worse and the pain that children and their families endure is being compounded by a deep sense of betrayal and abandonment by successive governments. The Scoliosis Waiting List Action Plan 2017 was jointly developed by the HSE and the Children's Hospital Group and it has failed to deliver despite the fact that as part of that proposal to address the spinal fusion waiting list a number of children were identified as clinically appropriate to have their scoliosis surgery in other hospitals such as the Matter, Kappa and Temple Street. I would like to know Minister just how many additional nurses have started in the service since then and how many consultants, because without them we simply cannot have the increase in theatre capacity that we so badly need. Minister how can this government and indeed Children's Health Ireland keep getting this issue so wrong and how on earth are we still here? Minister how are we still here, almost a decade on from 2017 when I raised these questions initially. Is it incompetence or is it indifference or is it just the cruel and unpalatable fact that this state is simply mired in dysfunction when it comes to addressing issues of this kind of complexity? We should be embarrassed and the pain and the stress that it has caused so many families throughout this state is absolutely scandalous. I feel that we have to get to grips with this quickly and we have to instill confidence that in those services that people don't have confidence anymore because they have been treated so badly and unfortunately children have suffered. Thank you very much. Thank you.
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