Gino Kenny warns of trust crisis after children's surgeries suspended
Gino Kenny addressed the minister about suspended children's surgery and the erosion of trust in the health service. He said families with children who need prompt interventions have been fundamentally let down and urged immediate action, thorough reviews and involvement of advocacy groups.
Immediate concerns
Kenny described the episode as very sorry and said families are being left waiting longer for surgeries that now seem suspended. He emphasised that children need intervention as soon as possible and that the extended waits are deeply damaging for families.
Clinical governance and reviews
He argued that clinical governance and criteria were crossed and said reviews must rectify the mistakes of recent years. Kenny called for the reviews to learn deep lessons from past errors to prevent repetition.
Health committee evidence
Kenny recalled that two years ago a number of surgeons appeared before the health committee and that the session had given families confidence and assurances that the situation would be resolved. He said it is now cruel that families are moving backwards rather than forward.
Questions on capacity and alternatives
He asked directly whether surgery has been suspended, noting that Blenard Goster has said it is not. Kenny suggested considering temporary measures, including bringing asbestos from different countries or arranging surgery outside the state, while acknowledging complications related to travel and children's care.
Role of families and advocacy groups
Kenny insisted that families and advocacy groups must have a voice in how reviews are conducted and in addressing the failures. He said the current handling of the issue is completely unsatisfactory and that affected families deserve to be heard.
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Minister, this has been a very sorry episode, to say the least. When we talk about trust and confidence in our health service, when families have been let down fundamentally, it can leave a terrible, terrible taste in people's mouths. Families should never be in this situation. Families with children with complicated situations, they need that intervention. as soon as possible. Because of the fallout of this, that kind of wait is going to be longer. I think that is the hardest thing to accept for them families. Knowing children, they have children there that they need this intervention as soon as possible, now all surgery seems to be suspended. When you do not have a trust minister, I think you do not have anything. So the reviews, if they do anything, they have to rectify the mistakes, what has happened in the last number of years and probably beyond that. There is no doubt, I am no kind of expert, medical expert, but surely clinical governance and criteria were crossed, there is no doubt about that. I am a member of the health committee. Two years ago, a number of surgeons came before the health committee in relation to this issue. To me, it was one of the best health committees I have ever been at. It was extremely positive. The people I spoke, I spoke very passionately about the situation where they find their patients in. I think families grew confidence from that and obviously previous ministers to say that this situation is going to be solved once and for all. But now families are finding themselves going backwards rather than forward. That is probably the cruelest thing of all, that children are being let down. I think my question, Minister, for you for later on is if surgery has been suspended. I know Blenard Goster has said it is not. Then the situation of families have to wait years upon years upon years for this intervention. Surely we will look at different ways of actually intervening in this situation. I know this is quite complicated. Is there situations where asbestos can be brought from different countries to Ireland on a temporary measure? Can children, and again I know this is complicated, that children can actually get surgery outside the state? That I think we might have to look at. I know there are complications related to children travelling and so forth, but we may have to look at that. It is not perfect by any means, but obviously families want this intervention as soon as possible. I think, again, in relation to the reviews, in relation to families and the advocacy groups, I think it is extremely important that they have their say in relation to how this has all been played out, because it is completely unsatisfactory what things have happened, particularly around clinical governance. We need to learn the lessons, the deep lessons, from the mistakes of the past, and hopefully not the future. Thank you. Thank you very much.
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