HEALTH Minister Jennifer Carroll McNeill is kicking back against plans in her Department to wind down a taskforce set up to help end the nightmare waiting list for children in need of spinal surgery.
Last year, former Health Minister Stephen Donnelly brought together medics, CHI staff and some advocacy groups to form a taskforce led by legal expert Mark Connaughton.
The aim was to try and improve spinal surgery services for children and end the long-running waiting list issue.
Last month, the Irish Sun revealed that the Department of Health planned to wind down the taskforce in 2025.
The Department told the Irish Sun that it is expected that “sufficient progress can be made in 2025” on the issue to enable them to pull the plug.
However, the latest figures show that the number of children waiting for surgeries rose last month for the first time since July of last year.
There are now 241 children waiting for spinal surgeries in Ireland—including 132 children who have no surgery date at all and 64 children who are waiting more than four months.
The Irish Sun highlighted concerns from taskforce member Gerry Maguire – CEO of Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland – that the taskforce was being wound down too early.
New Health Minister Jennifer Carroll McNeill this week revealed that she will push back against the advice that the taskforce should be wound down and will not pull the plug on the group.
After the issue was raised in the Seanad this week by Senator Victor Boyhan, the Minister confirmed she has no plan to end the taskforce before the issue is addressed.
She said: “In relation to the taskforce, I want to clear up now that I certainly have no view that it should be discontinued.
“I think it’s a very, very valuable tool. I think it has done very good work.”
She said she hopes to improve spinal services to a point where the taskforce is no longer needed, but admitted that we are nowhere near that point yet.
Our Kids Can’t Wait Campaign
WAITING lists in Ireland have long been a national disgrace.
More than 106,000 children are on hospital waiting lists for all treatments. However, a new source of shame has emerged as 327 children wait for life changing spinal surgeries.
Their conditions are getting worse while they languish on waiting lists.
Such are the delays, many child patients will be outside the therapeutic window when their treatments are approved.
Earlier this month, the Seanad heard how at least one child has become permanently paralysed since the issue was raised publicly before Christmas.
Their plight has been spearheaded by campaigning Senator Tom Clonan, who himself has a child with a disability.
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has even admitted that the health service is failing these kids.
Children are being allowed to deteriorate due to mismanagement, which has allowed the waiting lists to grow.
The Irish Sun’s Kids Can’t Wait campaign aims to shine a light on how the State is failing sick children and give their families a voice.
It will also force the Government to do something to clear the backlog of operations and give these children a chance of living a normal life.
