The oversight system at Temple Street hospital collapsed when it came to the cases of spinal surgery patients, a solicitor representing some of the families has said.
Ciaran Tansey told RTÉ radio’s News at One that families wanted to know what remedial steps would be taken. The families were going through hell. The figures revealed so far were “shocking, alarming and very troubling,” he said.
Mr Tansey is also representing the family of Dollceanna Carter, the 10-year-old girl with spina bifida and scoliosis who died in September 2022 after a series of operations at Temple Street Children's Hospital.
Dollceana was one of the 19 children who are part of the internal review of spinal surgical procedures ordered by the HSE on Tuesday. However, there are other families, represented by Mr Tansey, who want the scope of the review to be expanded to include a wider time frame.
“The nature of this treatment involves at times surgeries carried out over a period of years and very often where there is a failure in the surgery, further surgery is required. Now, the report has revealed that of all of the 16 cases that were reviewed, 81 percent of those cases, 13 of those 16 patients after the surgery required further unplanned surgery.
“That figure is shocking. It's alarming and it's mostly most troubling. And of course, there will be failures of surgery, but to have 81 percent of the surgeries fail is an extreme figure and has led to all of these issues.
“The second compelling figure from the report which has emerged this week is the level of infection post-surgery. That's at 75 per cent. And the final is the incidence of cases requiring metal work to be removed. That was found in nine of the 16 cases, 56 per cent.
“Those figures are unheard of in the surgical sphere. And they're indicative of there having been a major problem.”
More than a blanket apology would be needed by the families, said Mr Tansey.
"The children involved would require specialised remedial surgery in some cases – who was going to provide that? In each case there would have to be a review of their case so that a solution could be put in place.
"This needed to start immediately and that would require investment by the HSE and the involvement of international specialists.
“Ireland simply doesn't have the personnel that's needed to remedy the ills which have been done here. We need support from beyond this island and I want to know who's going to put that in place. I'm not confident that that process has been started comprehensively the way it now needs to be.”
The families want to know how the issue persisted within Temple Street Hospital for so long and how unauthorised medical devices “ended up in their children’s backs.” It beggars belief that this had happened given how highly regulated the sector was.
“Where do they come from? Who paid for them? Who delivered them to the operating theatres? It beggars belief. So they want to know how that happened.
“The oversight function collapsed within Temple Street hospital.”
