The Daily Star Ireland
The Minister for Health is expected to publish an audit examining unnecessary hip surgeries performed on children, though the release will occur only after the document has been fully reviewed. Minister of State Robert Troy made the statement during an appearance on national television, following growing political pressure to address long-standing concerns regarding pediatric orthopedic procedures.
The issue came under renewed scrutiny this week after it emerged that the children’s hip surgery concerns may date back as far as 15 years—significantly earlier than the 2021–2023 period currently under official review. Opposition parties have accused the government and health authorities of withholding information from parents and failing to provide timely updates on the status of the investigation.
Audit Scope, Parental Outreach, and Early Findings
An independent audit was initiated by Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) in July of last year. The review is focused on a randomized, anonymized sample of hip dysplasia surgeries conducted between 2021 and 2023 at three medical centers: CHI Temple Street, CHI Crumlin, and Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital. The audit is assessing whether the criteria for surgical intervention were consistently applied across the institutions and whether all surgeries were medically justified.
As part of an early recommendation from the review, over 2,200 letters have been sent to parents offering follow-up medical assessments. This outreach includes more than 1,700 letters issued by CHI to families whose children underwent surgery at Temple Street and Crumlin, and another 500 letters from Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital. These appointments are scheduled to occur in the coming months to ensure ongoing monitoring and clinical review.
The audit remains incomplete, and a definitive timeline for publication has not yet been provided. However, the early steps suggest efforts are underway to contact affected families and provide them with medical oversight in the interim.
Political Response and Broader Concerns
Labour TD Marie Sherlock criticized CHI for a pattern of repeated failures and stated that the organization has lost public trust. She called for the CHI board to appear before the Health Committee to answer questions directly and emphasized the importance of ensuring families receive clinical support and independent assessments.
Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane also spoke out, urging that parents be given access to independent clinical evaluations of their children’s surgeries. She highlighted systemic issues in the provision of assessments for children with special needs and called for increased investment, along with the recruitment and training of qualified staff.
Both deputies spoke during a segment of RTÉ’s The Week In Politics, where a broader discussion on disability services and medical oversight unfolded. A cross-party opposition motion was introduced, focusing on the urgent need to address delays in assessments of need for children.
Minister Troy acknowledged the opposition’s concerns, describing the motion as well-founded, though he noted that the government’s formal stance would be determined at the upcoming Cabinet meeting. He emphasized that disability services remain a government priority and pointed to a 35 percent increase in assessments conducted recently. Additionally, €10 million has been allocated for private sector support to help reduce backlogs.
Nevertheless, opposition members expressed skepticism about whether the government fully understands the scale of the problem. They argued that the current model for assessing and addressing children’s health issues is outdated and requires significant structural reform to align services with demand.
The situation continues to unfold, with the healthcare community, political leaders, and affected families awaiting the audit’s findings. The outcome is expected to have broader implications for clinical practices, oversight mechanisms, and policy development in pediatric healthcare in Ireland.
