CHI governance and hip dysplasia cases
Deputy Cullinane cited the damning HIQA report on CHI and raised a family case involving hip dysplasia treatment. He argued the CHI board should be stood down; the Health Minister said she was open to cases, had not yet received the report, and would consider governance in the round.
Yesterday we had the publication of the HIQA report into CHI, which was discussed in the House at length. The report was damning and outlined a litany of management, clinical, ethical, and informed consent failures. This was not only about use of unauthorised non-medical grade springs, which, of course, was the substance of the report, as the systemic failures go wider than this. Teachta Ó Murchú received an email from a family in County Louth about the hip dysplasia issue. Their child was three or four years old at the time, in 2019. The family was told the child would need hip dysplasia surgery, which would involve cutting into the bone of the child. The family got a second opinion in the North and they were told the child did not have the condition. We have several emails like this. What I am concerned about, and I genuinely need to say this to the Taoiseach, is that the audit under way at present as far as I understand it covers the period from 2021 to 2023. Families are coming to us about issues outside of this time period. There needs to be a much wider look at this. There are many systemic failures in CHI. We know families have been calling for a wider review.
Comment on this
I must also put it to the Taoiseach that I accept the chair of CHI stood down yesterday. I genuinely believe the board needs to be stood down, given the gravity of the issues which have been raised.
Comment on this
I thank Deputy Cullinane. I am very happy to look at any case. Deputy Cullinane appreciates I have not formally received the report yet but I am absolutely open to any case being brought to me. I would greatly appreciate if Deputies throughout the House might do so in the earliest course.
Separately on the board of CHI, there is a statutory structure around it. I note the chairperson stepped down yesterday. I need to get the other two reports and I need to consider governance in the round. As the Taoiseach said earlier, we need to have a functional system to be able to work towards the opening of the National Children's Hospital. I am open to looking at everything in the round but I would like to receive the other two reports first.