Spinal Surgery Updates

📋 CHI Spinal Surgery Waiting List & Activity Report for October 2025

• Full report
• 130 patients actively waiting. These patients are ready for surgery and waiting for a scheduled date for admission in the future.
• 488 spinal surgeries carried out to date.

The waiting list isn’t static, it is like a moving queue. Every month, patients are receiving their surgery and leaving the list, but their space on the list is filled by another patient who is newly referred for care. 502 patients have been added to the list so far this year. The list changes constantly, reflecting both progress and rising demand.

🏥 Complex Care Spinal Surgery Pathway

All spinal surgery patients are prioritised based on diagnosis, spinal deformity, co-morbidities, and age.

CHI has implemented a Complex Care Spinal Surgery Pathway for children requiring multidisciplinary assessment and optimisation before surgery, ensuring coordinated and safe care.

New information has been published for patients, parents and guardians about this: Complex Care Spinal Surgery Pathway.

Thank you to members of the Patient Panel for their time in co-designing this content.

➡️ AIS Posterior Spinal Fusion Pathway

Posterior Spinal Fusion is the most common operation used to treat Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). CHI has implemented an AIS Posterior Spinal Fusion Pathway - a standardised pathway for patients preparing for AIS spinal surgery.

New information has been published for patients, parents and guardians about this: AIS Posterior Spinal Fusion Pathway.

This information explains what to expect before, during and after surgery, as well as goals that you will be aiming to meet each day in hospital after your surgery.

🤝 Neurodisability Pilot Project

The SSMU launched a 3-month pilot project in September to enhance care for children with complex neurodisability undergoing spinal surgery. This initiative introduces a dedicated medical team to manage post-op care, aligning with international best practice. This pilot has enhanced the post-op management for these children and avoids delayed medical intervention and readmission to ICU.

✅ Theatre Maximisation

We continue to focus on access to operating theatres to increase spinal surgical activity. Ahead of moving to the National Children's Hospital Ireland, we aim to equip a second theatre in CHI Crumlin to be able to perform additional Spinal Fusion procedures in 2026.

👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ Recruitment (October Update)

Three new Orthopaedic Surgeon posts, one Consultant Paediatrician and one Consultant Plastic Surgeon post are currently being recruited for.

📅 Reduction in patients waiting for their first outpatient appointment

Additional capacity has reduced the outpatient waiting list for new patients to 260 at the end of November.

✈️ Spinal Surgery Abroad

If your child is on the active waiting list for spinal surgery, you may have received a letter about exploring the option of surgery abroad. You can find more information here.

🗂️Paediatric Spinal Surgery Taskforce minutes on gov.ie (external link)

For spinal service patients and families only.

• Children's Health Ireland acknowledges the publication of HIQA report
• Children's Health Ireland launches new Scoliosis Information Hub for patients and families
• Children's Health Ireland welcomes the publication and findings of Health Service Executive review on the implementation of Scoliosis and Spina Bifida Action Plans 2022 and 2023

Attention all GPs:

From August 2025, spinal referrals without an accompanying X-ray will not be accepted.

• Digital scoliosis GP referrals: Send your scoliosis referrals through Healthlink (using the "spinal" drop-down menu for CHI at Crumlin referrals)
• Resource Pack: This pack contains information on the advised approach to take when you suspect scoliosis in a paediatric patient (under 16)
• Minimum Data Set requirements: It is important that all spinal referrals that we receive from GPs contain specific datasets, find more information here.
• Ordering spinal X-ray: In cases of suspected scoliosis, having an X-ray accompany your GP referral letter significantly improves the triage process. See the GP resource pack above for more information.