Can scoliosis and spina bifida inquiry get to the truth?
Next year, we should see the start of an inquiry into spina bifida and complex scoliosis care of children in Children's Health Ireland.
A proposed inquiry into care for children with spina bifida and complex scoliosis at Children's Health Ireland (CHI) is set to begin in 2025. This private Commission of Investigation, as opposed to a public tribunal, will have statutory powers and examine four key areas: waiting lists, spinal surgery, hip dysplasia, and a group of children not transferred from Our Lady’s Hospital Crumlin to Temple Street after 2008.
The commission will focus on the period from January 2019 to December 2025, as CHI was established in law in 2018, with the three Dublin paediatric hospitals transferring to it on January 1, 2019.
While the scoping exercise by appointed Senior Counsel Remy Farrell did not aim to resolve any factual disputes or controversies involving CHI, it recommended clear, workable Terms of Reference for a statutory inquiry if the government decides to establish one. The inquiry's aim is not to duplicate or stray into areas covered by other independent reviews, such as the Health Information & Quality Authority report in April 2025 and the Nayagam review.
The Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy Group, Scoliosis Advocacy Network, Hip Dysplasia Advocacy Group, Labour Party Health Spokesperson Marie Sherlock, Sinn Féin Health Spokesperson David Cullinane, and Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Pádraig Rice have all expressed varying concerns and expectations regarding the inquiry's scope, timing, and approach.
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