Spinal Surgery Updates

ℹ️ Scoliosis Information Hub

📋 CHI Spinal Surgery Waiting List & Activity Report – April 2025

• Full report.
• 137 patients actively waiting. These patients are ready for surgery and waiting for a scheduled date for admission in the future.
• 230 total patients on the waiting list (137 active + 8 pre-admit + 29 planned + 56 suspended = 230).
• 170 spinal surgeries carried out.

🔄 Behind the numbers

We are deeply aware that behind every number on the waiting list is a patient and a family waiting for spinal surgery. We hear that it is frustrating for families to see that the total number of patients on the waiting list for spinal surgery does not appear to be reducing month-on-month. Please be assured that the list is constantly changing — as children and young people have their surgeries and come off the list, new patients are added.

Between January and April 2025, 170 spinal surgeries were carried out at CHI and other hospitals with extra funding support. During the same period, 161 new procedures were added to the Active waiting list category, and 54 were added to the Planned Procedure category. (An example of a Planned Procedure is lengthening of a patient's growing rods in theatre).

So, while the total number waiting may have little variation or increase, this number does not mean that all of the same patients who were waiting for surgery in January, February, March or April are still waiting in May. Important progress is being made every month, while we acknowledge that the waiting list must continue to be improved by the Spinal Surgery Management Unit.

🧭 Plan for Every Patient

To support this progress, the Spinal Surgery Management Unit has developed a new system called “Plan for Every Patient.” This visual database system provides a clear, visual view of each child’s place on the waiting list. It helps the team to track every patient’s journey to surgery, identify and remove any delays, and see in real time how cancellations affect all children still waiting. This ensures better coordination and faster responses when issues arise.

📅 Reduction in waiting time for outpatient appointments (2024)

The Spinal Surgery Management Unit has implemented initiatives which have reduced the waiting time for outpatient appointments by 40%. We acknowledge that waiting times for patients are still too long, and we continue to work to reduce the length of time that patients are waiting for appointments.

For patients who attend outpatient clinics with spinal issues, we see a 4% conversion rate to spinal surgery. This means that for every 100 patients seen by consultants at outpatient appointments, four are added to the spinal surgery waiting list. The majority of patients seen in outpatients need follow-up care and monitoring, while a smaller number are discharged at their first appointment.

📅 Average waiting time for spinal surgery (2024)

• Non-complex patients: 4 months average wait time
• Complex patients: update in progress.

Complex cases require multi-disciplinary team approval and detailed planning, which contributes to longer wait times. CHI is currently validating complex case waiting time data.

🔬 CHI at Crumlin Surgical Site Surveillance: infection rates (reported April 2025)

• All spinal surgery patients: 3.9%
• High-risk spinal surgery patients (spend longer hospital / comorbidities): 5.6%
• Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: 0%

📢 Progress update from the Spinal Surgery Management Unit (Q1 2025)

🗂️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:

• 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.