CHI boss apologises to children and families in opening statement to Oireachtas Committee
LATEST: CHI chief apologises to children and families over practices and governance issues
Children's Health Ireland (CHI) CEO Lucy Nugent apologised this morning to children and families impacted by recent revelations about the charity.
In her opening statement this morning to the Oireachtas Committee on Health, she said: "I am sorry on behalf of the management of Children's Health Ireland and I am sorry on behalf of the entire organisation.
"I am very aware that various issues that my organisation is grappling with - and I will speak to each of those issues in due course this morning - have an enormously worrying impact on parents around the country, and whether they can place their trust in us."
Only 60 of the more than 2,200 children caught up in the controversy over potentially needless hip dysplasia surgeries have been seen for a review of their care so far, the Oireachtas Health Committee will be told today.
CHI chief Lucy Nugent will say 105 appointments have been offered, and will acknowledge the 'worry it has caused to many parents'.
A random audit of 147 children who had hip dysplasia surgeries across Temple Street, Crumlin and Cappagh hospitals was published in recent weeks.
High numbers in Temple Street and Cappagh were found to have possibly not needed the surgery because the threshold for intervention was lower than international standards.
About 2,200 families whose children had the surgery since 2010 were written to and told they would be offered a medical review. The vast majority are waiting for an appointment.
Ms Nugent said the random audit by a British surgeon 'regrettably identified one case from the review sample where a child experienced complications due to the surgical approach recommended to them'.
'This family has been contacted and supported through an open disclosure process,' she added.
'Multi-disciplinary team review clinics have started. This is a once-off review to assess complications only and determine the current clinical state of each patient.
'After this, patients enter the recommended normal follow-up process.'
Ms Nugent will say CHI is arranging these clinics as quickly as possible and hopes to have seen all children within six months.
Along with her predecessor Eilish Hardiman, Ms Nugent will be questioned about a series of scandals, including the use of experimental springs during spinal surgery on three children.
Referring to the hip dysplasia review, Ms Nugent said: 'I would like to give my assurance to all of the families affected that they will be directly supported and are being contacted with follow-up information and the next steps.'
Figures provided by the hospital will also show that as of June 4 there were 48 patients waiting over four months on CHI's active waiting list.
This is despite a pledge by Simon Harris, when health minister, that no child would face such a delay.
The report says this is a decrease since the beginning of this year.
Eilish O'Regan
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