Hip surgery scandal ‘biggest medical malpractice’ in state – Government TD

The controversy surrounding children who underwent surgery for developmental dysplasia for the hip could be one of the “biggest medical malpractice” in the history of the state, a Government TD has said.

Fine Gael’s Brian Brennan, who declined to get hip dysplasia for his young son, said that Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) “has to take responsibility” and must be held accountable.

Executive and senior clinicians from CHI appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Health on Thursday to provide an update on issues that have emerged in recent months.

A review into the unauthorised use of springs in children with scoliosis and an audit on the threshold for hip surgery was recently published.

The clinical audit of surgeries for dysplasia of the hips in children found that a lower threshold for operations was used at CHI Temple Street hospital and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh (NOHC) than the threshold used at CHI Crumlin.

The review discovered that in the period 2021 to 2023, almost 80% of children operated on at the NOHC, and 60% of those at Temple Street, did not meet the threshold for surgery.

Mr Brennan, a TD for Wicklow-Wexford, attended the committee on Thursday and sat with parents of children affected by the scandal for the first part of the hearing.

He said he was there as a TD and as a parent.

He told the committee he met with the consultant under investigation for the implanting of unapproved springs who told him that their son needed surgery.

“My story, I went to Cappagh (hospital) with my young child with an previously underlying health condition and we sat in front of the surgeon that is on leave,” he said.

“We were told that we should seriously consider surgery. I asked for the pros and cons like any other parent would. We left. We drove back to Wexford. It was hardly a word said between myself and my wife in the car. As we drove into our house, I turned to my wife and said, ‘we can’t proceed’.

“My young son had gone through enough. So, it’s with the grace of God I’m not sitting there. It is absolutely horrific.

“I’m strong. People say, do you think about it every day? I don’t. What I do think about every day is the parents. My God. How did this happen? I’m of the very, very firm opinion that justice must take its course.

“But in my opinion, if this plays out the way I think it may play out, this could be one of the biggest medical malpractice in the history of the state.

“With all due respect to the committee sitting in front of us here this morning, let’s call this out as it is. The people sitting in front of me now were in the driving seat when this was going on. It was under your watch. Those are the facts.

“How was this allowed to happen? I heard a comment early on, they may be tired, overworked, and I don’t want to turn any surgeon, and I repeat that justice takes course, but how can a parent hand their young child over to a surgeon?

“It’s the most vulnerable person in our society, our children. You hand it to a surgeon. You presume and demand that they get the full care they deserve. It is very clear that this did not happen and this is so wrong, it really is.”

Describing himself as “lucky”, he said that his son, who is aged seven, is out running “nearly half marathons”.

“Thank God he’s in that position. But every day I think of these parents. Prevention, how can you honestly say this will never happen again?” he added.

He said that the CHI must be held accountable for the mistakes made and individuals who “stood over children” must take responsibility.