By Eimear Phelan

Many children are still facing long waiting times for diagnosis and treatment for scoliosis in Ireland, according to Scoliosis Awareness & Support Ireland. 

When Taoiseach Simon Harris was minister for health in 2017, he said that no child would wait longer than four months for scoliosis surgery.  

However, campaigners say that seven years on, surgery is still a long way away for many. 

“As of September 2024, we continue to face significant challenges in addressing the backlog of scoliosis waiting lists for children,” said Elaine Kelly from Scoliosis Awareness & Support Ireland. 

Kelly explained that the demand for spinal procedures often outpaces the available capacity within the healthcare system despite the efforts to improve the situation.  

“Over the past 10 years efforts to improve the issue have included, allocating additional funding, an increased investment in healthcare and an increase in infrastructure and personnel to expand surgical capacity. Despite these efforts, many children and their families continue to experience significant delays in accessing necessary surgery,” Elaine Kelly said. 

Source: CHI website, Children’s Hospital Temple Street 

Aoibhínn Dunne, 20, from Dublin has been waiting over a year for spinal surgery with private healthcare.  

Due to the cut in scoliosis screening in primary schools Dunne found out very late in life that she had scoliosis. 

Dunne’s scoliosis causes her severe back pain, and because her scoliosis is in the shape of an ‘S’ it means her spine is pulling in different directions. This puts a lot of stress on her lungs and eventually her heart, as her ribs are pressing in against her lungs.  

This is especially difficult for her as she studies drama in university and it affects her movement for acting on stage and breathing for singing. 

Since being diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 18, Dunne has had immense difficulty in getting on waiting lists for surgeries as “children often get prioritised,” Dunne said.  

“By the time you are 18 there is a certain cutoff point for the number of degrees in the curvature of the spine; if you’re under a certain number then it probably won’t keep getting worse. However, mine is double the cutoff point, so I do have to get surgery, it’s just so hard, especially for me because I’m not a child anymore,” she explained. 

“We appreciate that no politician can wave a magic wand and solve this overnight, but this has been going on now since 2009,” said Elaine Kelly. 

“Even the emergency wait lists are over three months long,” Dunne said. 

Kelly explained how past warnings have fallen on deaf ears and that the “response has been unacceptable from the Government. This is the last chance to get it right.”  

“The waiting list for spinal surgery has increased in recent months, this is due to the backlog of children waiting for a first appointment with a consultant,” Kelly said. 

According to Kelly, it’s not just physical pain that affects patients with scoliosis. Anxiety and stress associated with the delays in care can also have a negative impact on the mental health of children and families. 

Kelly advises families to reach out for help. “Give families support groups contact details and information on their child’s diagnosis. Research- knowledge is power,” she said.