Patients in distress as scoliosis surgery is delayed

The majority are patients at Crumlin Hospital while 21 are in treatment in Temple Street, both in Dublin.

Claire Cahill, of the Scoliosis Advocacy Network, which represents affected families, said: "We have witnessed an increase in the amount of parents contacting us fearful and upset regarding their children's waiting times for scoliosis care.

"Scoliosis is a time-sensitive condition. Long waits for surgery can result in reduced outcomes and higher risks to children."

She said parents accepted that no surgeries or specialist clinics took place during the worst of the Covid-19 lockdown but "children still require care and treatment".

The last government promised no child would wait longer than four months for surgery but this has been breached.

One of the young patients caught up in delays is Viktoria Jurek (18), from Norwood, in Waterford city, who has been waiting more than four years for surgery.

Viktoria, whose family are originally from Slovakia, has been attending Temple Street Hospital for years and was eventually due to have surgery at the end of 2019.

"She had no capacity in her lungs any more. We have been waiting for the surgery for years. Since December we are no clearer on when the operation will go ahead," said her father Joseph.

He said Viktoria, who is confined to a wheelchair, now has very severe scoliosis and the longer the surgery is delayed the more difficult the operation is.

Her family are now pleading with doctors to set a date for the surgery and end the limbo of uncertainty which is leaving Viktoria struggling daily.

A spokesman for Children's Health Ireland (CHI), overseeing Temple Street and the other children's hospitals, said he could not comment on individual cases.

"CHI sincerely regret that children and their families are experiencing long waiting times for their appointments.

"While the majority of children are seen within a 12-month period, we recognise that too many are waiting too long for their appointments and we are making every effort to reduce these waiting times."

He said Covid-19 forced the hospitals to defer all non-emergency spinal operations but they are now planning to "phase up services on an incremental basis", adding this has "a number of dependent factors".

Last year "following a substantial investment in CHI, 190 spinal fusions were carried out".

"Approximately 20pc of patients on the inpatient waiting list are waiting for a scoliosis procedure with 80pc of children waiting for general orthopaedic procedures.

"CHI is a cross-city team of paediatric consultants who will deliver services at Crumlin and Temple Street and encompass the evolving role of the paediatric outpatient and urgent care centre at Connolly Hospital," he said.