PEADAR TÓIBÍN: “More than 600 children had spinal surgery cancelled in the last five years. CHI needs to say exactly why.” The Aontú leader said there was a 30% increase in three years and if trends continue, it will mean 200 cancellations of operation this year.
Peadar Tóibín has called on the Minister for Health to “come clean” to families on why there is such a level of cancellations, saying: “It’s absolutely wrong.”
The Aontú leader found out in reply to a parliamentary question that there were 648 cancelled spinal surgeries in the past five years; and up to March in 2026, a total of 54 have been cancelled.
Among the reasons given for cancelling surgery are clinical decisions, bed/staff availability, the patient being medically unfit, manpower resources and personal reasons. Furthermore, the statistics showed that cancelled surgeries rose by 30% from 2023 to 2025 – from 126 in 2023 to 164 last year.
Said Deputy Tóibín: “We asked a simple question of Children’s Health Ireland, as to how many children have had spinal operations cancelled in the last number of years; and to tell us why they were cancelled.
“They would not divulge details as to why those cancellations happened. This is not unusual – we asked a question a few weeks ago about how many foreign objects were left in children in operations and they refused to answer that either.
“In this situation, we know the number of cancellations have increased by 30% in the last two years. We know if trends remain, there will be over 200 cancellations in CHI. Incredibly, this year, they state 13% were cancelled as a result of manpower; and 11% were cancelled because of personal reasons. Last year 48% were for clinical reasons, an increase from 32% in the previous year. Clinical reasons are nebulous. Harvey Morrison Sharrat was taken off the operation list for so-called clinical reasons.
“Given the level of dysfunction and the damage that has been done to children and investigations to be had in relation to this it is incredible.
“We are calling on the minister for health to come clean with TDs and families about what is happening in CHI that’s resulting in such a level of cancellations. It is absolutely wrong.
Referring to the public inquiry into spina bifida and complex scoliosis services, Tóibín added: “In terms of the investigation, we understand that the campaign groups have still not had a chance to sit down and work out the terms of reference of those investigations.
“There are serious concerns the deadlines for this investigation are not going to be met and families will not achieve the justice they are entitled to.”
The Government announced plans for the inquiry last November after meeting advocacy groups and the parents of the late Harvey Morrison Sherratt. Harvey, 9, who had scoliosis and other health issues, died aged nine last July after waiting years for surgery.
The breakdown of cancelled surgeries by year are:
2022 – 154
2023 – 126
2024 – 150
2025 – 164
2026 – 54 (year to March)
