THE head of Children’s Health Ireland will tomorrow apologise to families for the series of scandals that have rocked our children’s hospitals and admit: “Children are still waiting too long for surgeries.”
CHI boss Lucy Nugent, former CEO Eilish Hardiman, Chief Medical Office Dr Allan Goldman, Clinical Director Dr Ike Okafor and Head of Spinal Services David Moore will face a grilling from TDs and Senators at the Oireachtas Health Committee on Thursday.
Public confidence in CHI has been rocked in recent months following a series of scandals including lengthy wait lists for spinal surgeries, the misuse of non-medical springs in operations and kids being put through hip operations that they may not have needed.
The latest issue to hit CHI in recent weeks surrounds an internal report which revealed shocking waiting lists mismanagement which may have resulted in children not getting surgeries in time.
A lengthy opening statement from CEO Lucy Nugent provided to the Dail watchdog in advance goes through each of these scandals one by one and makes a series of apologies.
She said: “I am very aware of the impact of the last several years, months and weeks where revelations relating to our culture, governance and practices have led to great pain being inflicted upon some of those who were in our care.
“I say to you, I say to the children and families impacted and to the Irish people that I am sorry.
“I am sorry on behalf of the management of Children’s Health Ireland and I am sorry on behalf of the entire organisation.”
The CEO admits that “on occasions we have failed” children and says she is determined to “restore trust and faith in our national paediatric services.”
On the lengthy wait lists for spinal surgeries that has been the focus of the Irish Sun’s Kids Can’t Wait campaign, Ms Nugent admits that children are still waiting too long but claims a new Spinal Management Unit is getting on top of the issue.
She acknowledged the governance failures that led to the situation exposed by a recent HIQA report where a number of children had non-medical springs implanted in their body that later rusted and needed to be removed.
On the recent shocking report that outlined how children may have been operated on for hip conditions that they didn’t even have, the CHI CEO said all families impacted have been contacted and clinics to review their care have already started with 60 children seen so far.
HEARTFELT APOLOGY
She also issues a “heartfelt apology” to one specific family whose child experienced complications during their hip care.
The CHI boss later apologises for the latest scandal to hit CHI – an internal report that detailed waiting list management failures and cultural and bullying issues among staff that may have put children’s health at risk.
She apologised that CHI could not publish the report in full and claimed “it is not in any way our intention to hide the truth or hide behind legalities.”
CHI is due to take over the new €2 billion National Children’s Hospital when it is finally complete with some TDs raising questions about whether the organisation is fit to takeover such a big piece of infrastructure.
On the hospital, Ms Nugent said: “We will be ready and able to take over the new facility.”
