‘Serious spinal surgical incidents’ at Temple Street hospital prompts external review

A UK adept is to reappraisal spinal surgeries carried retired by a advisor astatine Temple Street children’s infirmary aft an interior reappraisal identified “serious spinal surgical incidents” successful the service.

The HSE said it has commissioned the adept from Liverpool to reappraisal the surgeries aft a fig of specified incidents were identified.

“The superior absorption of this outer reappraisal volition beryllium the objective attraction provided by an idiosyncratic advisor based astatine CHI astatine Temple Street, who is presently not conducting surgeries, and successful respect of whom a referral has been made to the Medical Council,” it said successful a connection connected Monday.

“This reappraisal arises from precise superior concerns identified by CHI since past twelvemonth relating to mediocre surgical outcomes successful spinal country astatine Temple Street, the usage of a definite spinal surgical method and the usage of unauthorised implantable devices.”

Late past year, diligent information concerns were raised astir a tiny fig of children with spina bifida who had spinal country successful the hospital. These concerns related to mediocre outcomes from analyzable spinal surgery, with a precocious incidence of post-operative complications and infections. Two peculiarly superior surgical incidents occurred successful July and September 2022, according to the HSE.

Following this, CHI commissioned 2 reviews, 1 interior and different by experts from Boston children’s hospital. The reviews examined the attraction provided by the advisor to 17 children.

“Of these 17 children, 1 kid sadly died since, and a fig of different children suffered important post-operative complications,” the HSE said.

“These patients and their families already look tremendous challenges owed to their condition, and CHI profoundly regrets the failings successful the attraction provided to them. CHI is engaged with these families connected an ongoing ground and volition proceed to supply enactment needed.”

More recently, CHI became alert that “unauthorised devices” were utilized successful a tiny fig of spinal country procedures, the HSE added. Officials person met 2 further families affected by this issue, bringing to 19 the full fig of families who CHI person met successful caller weeks.

“Each of these patients person present been assigned to a caller objective squad successful CHI and if they person not already met their caller consultant, volition beryllium gathering the consultants who volition beryllium taking implicit their attraction aboriginal this week to reappraisal and program their aboriginal treatment.”

The outer reappraisal volition beryllium conducted by Selvadurai Nayagam, advisor successful orthopaedics and trauma, and caput of the limb reconstruction portion astatine the Royal Liverpool University and Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospitals.

HSE main objective serviceman Dr Colm Henry promised the reappraisal volition beryllium completed arsenic soon arsenic practicable and earlier the extremity of this year. “The reappraisal whitethorn besides marque findings and recommendations that use crossed each CHI hospitals and to the caller children’s infirmary and volition beryllium published.”

Dr Allan Goldman, main aesculapian serviceman of CHI, said it profoundly regretted the interaction that the issues identified person had connected patients and their families. “We invited the HSE’s outer review. We volition usage the findings, successful conjunction with the findings and actions from CHI’S reviews of the spinal country work astatine CHI astatine Temple Street, to pass our ongoing betterment programme.

“CHI unit are committed and motivated to supply safe, effective, patient-centred and businesslike attraction to spina bifida patients to amended objective outcomes. We attraction profoundly astir the prime of that care. The families progressive and the information of patients stay our priority. We are successful the process of putting successful spot measures to guarantee the attraction of our patients is not disrupted oregon delayed arsenic a effect of this review.”