Arthritic children wait 13 months to see doctor
Belle Flavin (5), from Camolin, Co Wexford, who suffers from a rare form of arthritis, at the launch of the 'Kids With Arthritis Deserve Better' campaign yesterday
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CHILDREN with arthritis are at risk of life-long deformity because they must wait up to 13 months to be seen by the country's only specialist, it was revealed yesterday.
Dr Orla Killeen, who is the only paediatric rheumatologist in the hospital system, described the delays -- which leave the children in severe pain -- as "horrendous and shameful".
She is currently "swamped with referrals" and has a waiting list of 350 in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin with people left queueing for a first appointment.
Children should be seen in six weeks -- but even emergency cases cannot get an appointment for four months at the earliest.
Dr Killeen was speaking as Arthritis Ireland launched a new campaign -- spearheaded by some of the 1,000 children who suffer the condition -- to get a second specialist appointed.
She said there has been a 250pc rise in young patient referrals with arthritis in the last two-and-half years .
Outlining the risks of not treating the condition early, she said the children with delayed treatment are not just left in pain but are also at risk of joint deformity, delayed growth, muscle wastage and even blindness due to eye inflammation.
The condition can affect children as young as six months.
Apart from another specialist, it is essential that additional physiotherapists and nurses are appointed to complete the teams, she added.
Susan Flavin, from Camolin in Wexford, told the gathering how she was forced to bring her little daughter Belle to the emergency department in Crumlin after she was told she should have to wait months -- from September to March -- for an appointment.
"Every movement was painful and she could not go from sitting to standing," she said. "She would try to soothe herself by sucking her thumb but could not move her hand because of arthritis."
Screams
When Belle, who is now five years old, was admitted to a bed in Crumlin she had to be moved to another ward because of her screams of pain.
It took four days to see Dr Killeen, but within 24 hours -- after getting steroid injections -- she was "dancing around".
Since 2002 a number of reports recommending the appointment of additional paediatric rheumatologists have called for more doctors to be appointed.
The HSE was last unable to give any commitment that another paediatric rheumatologist will be appointed soon.
- Eilish O'Regan Health Correspondent
Irish Independent
