Dublin mother to walk to Dáil to highlight 'national crisis' in health system
A Dublin mother is set to start walking from the Taoiseach's constituency office in Ongar to the Dáil this morning, calling for changes in the health system and how children with special needs are cared for.
Lesley Anne O'Brien's seven-year-old son Jamie has cerebral palsy, and today's walk aims to highlight some of the issues he has faced including long hospital waiting lists.
It comes as the latest figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund show a record 718,165 patients are on waiting lists - of which 48,000 are children.
Lesley says she is frustrated by the current system and feels it is time to take action.
"My son was waiting for two years on a brain scan to be diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
"It's just waiting list after waiting list. Children's surgery being cancelled, from major to minor surgeries.
It is just an absolute national crisis.
