07-05-2025
Cork woman says her disabled daughter denied treatment in Ireland after she complained about a surgeon
A Cork mother has been told her disabled daughter's last chance for treatment in Ireland is no longer open to her because she complained about a doctor's manner.
Antoinette Burke, who has been campaigning for her daughter Katie since her diagnosis with cerebral palsy, has received a letter from the National Orthopaedic Hospital advising her that Katie would no longer receive treatment from one of its surgeons after she lodged a written complaint to the Medical Council.
The letter says that "in circumstances where you have made a complaint, [the surgeon] is unable to offer [Katie] an appointment or further treatment options".
It effectively leaves Katie without a surgeon for her cerebral palsy.
Katie was born with cerebral palsy and now has dislocated hips and a retrograde pelvis which threaten to force her into a wheelchair.
Along with cerebral palsy, Katie has a dysplastic hip and a twisted femur. Without surgery, she risks hip arthritis and scoliosis. However, she does not qualify for publicly-funded treatment abroad under the current State scheme because she has not yet developed scoliosis.
While doctors here have told Ms Byrne they cannot carry out the operation, a costly surgery is available in the US.
Antoinette and Katie have met with Dror Paley, a renowned hip and pelvis surgeon, who said he could operate at his Paley Institute in Florida, where recovery will take up to seven weeks. The cost of the surgery, physiotherapy, equipment, travel and living expenses could top €300,000, which Ms Burke is attempting to raise.
Ms Burke said in one meeting with a surgeon in Ireland, the family was told the US treatment was being carried out purely for money, leading to the written complaint by Ms Burke to the Medical Council.
Ms Burke said she had also complained about the standard of treatment here, but now claims her letter had effectively "barred" her daughter from the HSE.
"If you complain in a shop, you don't get barred."
Ms Burke said she was now willing to walk from Cork to Dublin to "prove a point".
"I'm not leaving until I get someone to help her."
She said while Katie does not qualify for the HSE's Treatment Abroad Scheme, there should be a fund for cases requiring treatment outside of Europe.
There should be a fund, not just for Katie, for the other kids who need treatment. We asked about the scheme for scoliosis but because she's not bent over in agony with her organs moving, she doesn't qualify yet.
Katie's case has been raised a number of times in the Oireachtas, including earlier this month during a Seanad debate on scoliosis by independent senator Sharon Keogan, who said the family "have been forced to search for treatment abroad and are desperately seeking to raise the money for this treatment".
"Parents should not have to set up a GoFundMe page to get treatment for their children."
The National Orthopaedic Hospital said: "We cannot comment on individual patient cases or consultant practices. The National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh encourages feedback from patients, which is addressed in line with hospital policy."
