Spinal Surgery Updates

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

• Full report
• 129 patients actively waiting. These patients are ready for surgery and waiting for a scheduled date for admission in the future. This compares to 138 active patients actively waiting at the same time last year.
• 387 spinal surgeries carried out to date. This compares to 365 at the same time last year.
• There has been a 55% reduction in patients waiting over 12 months, and there is continued focus on reducing the length of time children are waiting for surgery.
• Between January and September 2025, we have carried out 387 spinal surgeries. As these patients are removed from the waiting list, in the same timeframe, a total of 415 procedures have been added to the waiting list. Important progress is being made every month, while demand is rising.

🏥 Spinal Surgery Quality and Patient Safety Outcomes

The Spinal Surgery Management Unit is committed to transparency and continuous improvement in patient care. In line with international best practice, we are working to publish key spinal surgery outcomes and safety metrics, including:

• Average time to surgery
• Surgical site infection rates
• Return to theatre rates
• Need for blood transfusions
• Average Length of Hospital Stay (ALOS)

This initiative is a work in progress as we compile and validate data from CHI at Crumlin, CHI at Temple Street, The Blackrock Clinic, and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, covering both Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) and Complex patient groups.

📅 Reduction in waiting time for outpatient appointments

CHI’s Spinal Surgery Management Unit is actively working to reduce waiting times for children attending spinal outpatient clinics. A key priority has been to ensure that those waiting longest are given appointments.

As of 24 September 2025 (NTPF data), the total number on spinal OPD lists at CHI at Crumlin and CHI at Temple Street has reduced to 475 (compared to 844 in April 2024, when the initiative began). Of these 475 patients, 25% have an appointment date scheduled, and nobody is waiting for over 12 months for a new appointment.

Since the introduction of Saturday Clinics in 2024, 761 outpatients have been seen on Saturdays. Of these 761, 4% were added to the inpatient waiting list, 47.5% were discharged, and 48.5% will need to be monitored and reviewed again in the future.

We continue to work to reduce wait times further, particularly for first OPD appointments.

🩺 X-rays now required with GP Referrals

To expedite and improve the outpatient triage process, spinal referrals from a GP must have an accompanying X-ray (via NIMIS). In cases of suspected scoliosis, having an X-ray accompany a patient's GP referral letter significantly improves the triage process. X-rays can be ordered by GPs locally, and the GP resource pack contains more information.

🗂️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
• November: Progress update from CHI’s Spinal Surgery Management Unit
• 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
• GPs encouraged to use digital forms and X-ray pathways when referring children with suspected scoliosis to Children's Health Ireland
• Progress update from CHI’s Spinal Surgery Management Unit
• Children's Health Ireland to receive new, purpose-built Halo Traction wheelchairs for young scoliosis patients
• Spinal Surgeries Abroad

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.