Children who may have had unnecessary hip surgery in hospitals at the centre of today’s independent report must be the government’s immediate priority, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson Pádraig Rice.
Deputy Rice said:
“The publication of the report today finally confirms what we have known since March – that unnecessary hip surgeries were carried out on young patients under the care of Children’s Health Ireland (CHI).
“It is deeply concerning that between 2021 and 2023, 79 per cent of audited hip surgeries at Cappagh did not meet the required threshold for surgery. In the case of Temple Street, 60 per cent of cases failed to meet the threshold.
“The report also identifies serious failings around the use of a novel procedure, both in terms of the absence of informed consent and the lack of clinical follow-up to assess the impact of this treatment.
“Many questions also remain unanswered because of the limited scope of this audit. It only looked at the threshold for surgery, not the reasons for surgery. And while we now have confirmation of what occurred between 2021 and 2023, we still do not know why or how this was allowed to happen.
“Were it not for a whistleblower, these practices could still be happening in our children’s hospitals.
“We also know that this scandal goes back much further than the period audited, with letters sent out to parents with children who had operations as far back as 2010 – but this could go back even further again.
“The immediate priority must be the care of the children who may have received unnecessary surgeries. The government must ensure that clinical follow ups and retrospective reviews get underway as a matter of urgently.
“It is important to acknowledge that this has been an exceptionally difficult period for the parents of children who may have been affected. They deserve timely answers on their individual cases.
“In my capacity as chair of the Health Committee, I have already issued an invite to CHI to appear before the committee to discuss the findings of this deeply troubling report.
“I note that the Minister for Health has asked for time to be set aside in the Dáil next week to discuss the report. This should not just be a round of statements – it must be a questions and answers session.
“The children at the centre of this controversy, and their families, deserve answers.”
May 23, 2025