Sinn Féin has vowed to reduce waiting times for children with scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a condition which means a child’s spine begins to curve sideways; surgery can correct the condition - but only if treated in time.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has forecast there will be 20 children waiting more than four months for scoliosis surgery by Christmas - down from 86 at the moment.
The announcement comes seven-years after Simon Harris promised as Minister for Health that no child with scoliosis would wait more than four months for corrective surgery.
In 2017 Simon Harris said he wasn't going to "just trot out lines to defend the indefensible" & promised no child would wait more than 4 months for scoliosis surgery.
He broke that promise.
Today he defended the indefensible while children wait and wait and wait pic.twitter.com/OEAbUXtpBc
— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) September 18, 2024
Speaking to Newstalk, Sinn Féin Health spokesperson David Cullinane said parents have lost faith in the Government to deliver the care their children need in a timely manner.
“I want to make sure that no child is left behind,” he said.
“We have called for a ‘no child left behind waiting list’ strategy that is fully resourced with €200 million of additional investment over five-years.
“That would ensure that children with scoliosis, spina bifida, young children with mental health challenges and also young children with disabilities are not waiting for the care that they need.
“That’s what we’re seeing from this Government.”
Deputy Cullinane said parents are ‘angry’ with the way their children have been treated over the years.
“Obviously, I want the waiting list to come down but I think we have to be sceptical about promises made by this Minister and this Government,” he said.
“We’ve seen it and we’ve heard it all before and the promises haven’t been kept.”
Signs of scoliosis include a visibly curved spine, uneven shoulders, leaning to one side and a shoulder, hip or rib that is sticking out.
Main image shows a scoliosis specialist physician looking at a patient's x-ray. Picture by: Ivan Spasic / Alamy Stock Photo
