Latest news with #childrenhealth
Irish Times
26-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on the audit of hip operations: change is needed at CHI
Children's Health Ireland (CHI) is, to use the well-worn phrase, no stranger to controversy. The voluntary body, in charge of children's healthcare in the Dublin region, is again in the spotlight following a report about unnecessary hip operations in two hospitals – Temple Street and Cappagh. The audit of these operations exposes an extraordinary situation, where children were put through unnecessary, painful, procedures. It goes without saying that clinical follow up must be comprehensive and further inquiries need to establish how and why this happened. And to examine, as the audit recommended, the evidence going back as far as 2010. Unfortunately, there is almost certainly more to come in this saga. As with the use of non-approved springs in spinal surgeries in CHI Temple Street, outlined early this year in a HIQA report, the latest audit points to a major failure in surgical oversight. We need clear answers about why the system in CHI failed so completely. A wider review of the operation of the clinical director system, introduced in the 2008 consultant contract, is also now appropriate. The idea itself has merit, giving clinicians responsibility at management level for the delivery of safe and quality care. But is it doing enough to guarantee not only safe but also efficient services? READ MORE The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, also needs to reflect on the future of the CHI structure, due now to take over the running of the new children's hospital. The CHI has been hit by a string of controversies – in relation to the building of the hospital and planning for its operation, the long waiting lists for scoliosis patients and how funding allocated for this was spent, and delays in the appointment of a chief executive. Last year the then health minister, Stephen Donnelly, asked for legal advice on whether the State could take over the functions of the CHI, which would mean it coming under the control of the HSE. At the moment it has a separate board and management. The advice was that this could only happen if an independent report provided evidence of serious governance or other failings. The failings outlined in the audit – and last year's HIQA report –are clearly significant. And it is unacceptable that the head of the HSE can – as happened on Sunday – be asked on RTÉ about a report on a surgeon who allegedly transferred patients from a pubic to a private list, and say he was never informed by the CHI about it. The CHI is part of a voluntary hospital structures which is largely State funded, but jealously guards its independence. It is an opaque structure, with no adequate accountability. There is no reason to question the motivations of those charged with running the CHI – and board volunteers will be scarce – or the good work of the vast bulk of its staff. But change is needed.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Children's Experiences in Hospital Care Survey report published by CQC
A recent survey has found that most children have a positive experience when they have to go to some others also reported not feeling listened to by doctors and staff and to being bothered about how long they had to wait to be report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) looked into children's experiences in hospital through a survey that 25,000 children and their families filled in between March-May 2024, asking what they thought of the care they survey results were then used to write a report which tells hospitals what's working for kids and what isn't. What is the CQC? CQC stands for Care Quality Commission and among their jobs is checking that places like hospitals, doctor's surgeries and dentists are safe and staff there look after people properly. They do this through visits, inpsections and surveys (like this one). They might ask questions like: Is everyone safe or are the doctors and nurses kind? The answers and what they find is then written up into a report that says: What is being done well?What needs to get better? What did kids say was good about hospital care? When asked if how looked after they felt in hospital, 7 out of 10 (73%) children aged 8-15 said that they felt staff looked after them "very well" in also mostly felt included in their care, and were able to ask doctors and nurses about how they were cared for and felt they had a say in any decisions. According to the survey nearly 8 out of 10 (79%) of children aged 8–11 and nearly 9 out of 10 ( 87%) aged 12–15 felt as involved as they wanted to be in decisions about their in hospital can also be boring for children but just over half (53%) of 8 to 15 year olds said that staff played or did activities with them while they were in hospital 'as much as I wanted'.When it came to hospital food, around 8 out of 10 parents (76%) and children aged 12-15 (81%) said that there was always, or sometimes, enough choice of things to eat. What did children say was bad about hospital care? It wasn't all good news when it came to how children felt they were treated. Nearly 3 in 10 (28%) aged 8-15 said staff did not 'always' listen to what they had to say and 1 in 20 (5%) said they didn't feel listened to "at all".The CQC also found that children and young people with a disability, a mental health condition, or autism were less happy with their experiences in parents didn't always feel they or their children were listened too and or felt their child's needs, such as language support or physical adaptations, were being example, just under 6 out of 10 (58%) parents and carers of kids with disabilities said staff 'definitely' took their child's existing individual needs into account, compared with more than 7 out of 10 (75%) among children and young people who are not disabled. It also made a big difference why children were going to hospital. Children who went in for emergencies had a worse experience than those who had planned appointmentsWaiting was a big issue and when survey asked the what bothered children the most about waiting, 3 in 5 (61%) said it was how long they had to wait and 2 in 5 (41%) complained they didn't really know what was happening,Staying in hospital can also be a difficult time and two thirds (66%) of those answering this question said they were stopped from sleeping by things like noise from other people (42%), noise from medical equipment (31%) and hospital lighting (16%). What happens next? The results of the survey findings are now shared so that hospitals can review their results and CQC says that it will use the findings as they carry on inspecting and monitoring the services that children Chief Inspector Aidan Fowler said that while the NHS should be "pleased with the results of the 2024 survey" it does need improvement "particularly in cases where children had a mental health condition and for autistic or disabled children.""I'd urge hospital trusts to examine the results of this survey, together with our inspection reports to help them identify any changes they can make to ensure all children and young people receive the best quality of care every time," he added.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Kennedy and Trump to Reveal ‘Make America Healthy Again' Report
President Trump on Thursday will release a report that is expected to identify what Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. believes are key drivers of chronic disease in children, including ultra-processed foods, vaccination and environmental toxins like chemicals. The report, from the White House's Make America Healthy Again Commission, led by Mr. Kennedy, will not offer specific policy prescriptions, according to people familiar with it who insisted on anonymity to speak in advance of its release. Rather, it will be a high-level statement declaring that the nation is in a health crisis, identifying certain causes and offering a blueprint for further investigation and reform. Mr. Trump established the commission in February to examine what he called the 'growing health crisis in America.' But he asked the panel to begin by looking at chronic disease in children. Mr. Kennedy has repeatedly said that the United States is suffering from an epidemic of chronic disease that is particularly acute in children, citing the rising incidences of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 'To fully address the growing health crisis in America, we must re-direct our national focus,' the executive order establishing the commission declared, adding, 'This includes fresh thinking on nutrition, physical activity, healthy lifestyles, over-reliance on medication and treatments, the effects of new technological habits, environmental impacts, and food and drug quality and safety.' The executive order paints an especially dark picture of Americans' health. It notes, for instance, that the United States had the highest incidence rate of cancer in 2021 out of 204 countries and territories, and has experienced an '88 percent increase in cancer' since 1990. But it does not note that death rates for cancer have been steadily declining in the United States. Among other instructions, the order directs the commission to examine harms it suggests are caused by antidepressants and electromagnetic radiation. The order does not mention two factors that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists as the main causes of chronic disease: smoking and excessive alcohol use. The Trump administration is shuttering the C.D.C.'s Office on Smoking and Health, and has fired the top tobacco regulator at the Food and Drug Administration. Mr. Kennedy has previously blamed ultra-processed foods, which are expected to feature heavily in the report, as a major cause of chronic diseases in the United States, and has promised to 'fix our food supply.' But administration actions in the last few months have in some cases contradicted that goal. In March, the Agriculture Department abruptly ended a program that provided produce from local farms to schools. Scientists at Harvard and Cornell have lost funding for research aiming to improve the diets of children and teens. And Kevin Hall, a researcher who led some of the most highly cited studies on ultra-processed foods, left the National Institutes of Health in April, citing censorship. The report is being spearheaded by Calley Means, who is a special adviser to the White House on health issues and a Kennedy ally. The commission is composed of cabinet secretaries and top federal health officials, including the heads of the C.D.C., the F.D.A. and the N.I.H. The panel's report has been generating pushback even before its release. Some Republican lawmakers and industry representatives complained this week about the report's expected focus on widely used agricultural chemicals, including glyphosate, the key ingredient in an herbicide marketed as Roundup. When Mr. Kennedy testified on Tuesday before members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Republican of Mississippi, warned him and the commission to not to insinuate that the agricultural chemical is unsafe or responsible for childhood disease because doing so could greatly damage farmers. She referred to scientific studies, including an assessment from the Environmental Protection Agency that found the chemical safe when used as directed. 'I trust your report will be described as an initial assessment of things to be considered but yet to be determined,' the senator said. Mr. Kennedy assured her that he understood that farmers rely on glyphosate and 'we are not going to do anything to jeopardize that business model.'
Irish Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Over 2,200 families of children who received hip surgeries over 15 year period written to by CHI and Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital
A total of 2,259 families of children who received hip surgery over a 15 year period have received letters in advance of the publication of an audit on unnecessary surgeries. Last July, it was announced an independent review into hip surgeries in children would be carried out to examine if the developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) surgery was required in all cases. The review is looking at a random, anonymised sample of dysplasia of the hip surgeries, between 2021 and 2023, at Children's Health Ireland (CHI) hospital sites, as well as the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Cappagh (NOHC). It has been examining whether the criteria used for surgical intervention varied between the three hospitals and if surgery was required in all cases. The report is expected to be published shortly . READ MORE In a statement on Wednesday evening, CHI said it wrote to 1,757 parents of children and young people who underwent any type of hip surgery for DDH in its hospitals, dating back to 2010. Furthermore, NOHC wrote to 502 parents of patients who underwent DDH surgery in the hospital, and this group of patients will continue to be monitored to skeletal maturity. [ Miriam Lord: Hip operations uproar leaves Taoiseach in a bind Opens in new window ] CHI said the letters were sent on the age of the children, as children up to the age of 16 years are treated in CHI – the number represents all of the patients who potentially fall within the scope of follow up to skeletal maturity. 'CHI and NOHC will communicate further with families when the clinical audit is complete and any required additional steps will be taken as part of an action plan,' the statement said. 'We recognise the concerns of our patients' families and are committed to expediting the audit process, publishing the findings and implementing any required actions. When the audit is complete, we will prioritise open and transparent communication with our patient families.' A spokesman for Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she notes the publication of the number of letters sent by CHI and NOHC 'The Minister is very conscious of the concern that will be felt by all patients and families affected,' the spokesman said 'The audit process is nearing completion and the Minister has been advised that it will be finalised and completed imminently.' He added: 'The Minister will be in a position to comment further once the audit is published.' CHI has come under consistent pressure in recent months, particularly in relation to the provision of orthopaedic services for children. A recent report published by the Health Information and Quality Authority into the use of unlicensed metal springs in spinal procedures on three children in Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin found children were 'not protected from the risk of harm'. A third report, by orthopaedic consultant Selvadurai Nayagam, is also being carried out in relation to adverse surgical outcomes.
Irish Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Over 2,200 families of children who received hip surgeries over 15 year period written to by CHI
A total of 2,259 families of children who received hip surgery over a 15 year period have received letters in advance of the publication of an audit on unnecessary surgeries. Last July, it was announced an independent review into hip surgeries in children would be carried out to examine if the developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) surgery was required in all cases. The review is looking at a random, anonymised sample of dysplasia of the hip surgeries, between 2021 and 2023, at Children's Health Ireland (CHI) hospital sites, as well as the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Cappagh (NOHC). It has been examining whether the criteria used for surgical intervention varied between the three hospitals and if surgery was required in all cases. The report is expected to be published shortly . READ MORE In a statement on Wednesday evening, CHI said it wrote to 1,757 parents of children and young people who underwent any type of hip surgery for DDH in its hospitals, dating back to 2010. Furthermore, NOHC wrote to 502 parents of patients who underwent DDH surgery in the hospital, and this group of patients will continue to be monitored to skeletal maturity. [ Miriam Lord: Hip operations uproar leaves Taoiseach in a bind Opens in new window ] CHI said the letters were sent on the age of the children, as children up to the age of 16 years are treated in CHI – the number represents all of the patients who potentially fall within the scope of follow up to skeletal maturity. 'CHI and NOHC will communicate further with families when the clinical audit is complete and any required additional steps will be taken as part of an action plan,' the statement said. 'We recognise the concerns of our patients' families and are committed to expediting the audit process, publishing the findings and implementing any required actions. When the audit is complete, we will prioritise open and transparent communication with our patient families.' A spokesman for Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she notes the publication of the number of letters sent by CHI and NOHC 'The Minister is very conscious of the concern that will be felt by all patients and families affected,' the spokesman said 'The audit process is nearing completion and the Minister has been advised that it will be finalised and completed imminently.' He added: 'The Minister will be in a position to comment further once the audit is published.' CHI has come under consistent pressure in recent months, particularly in relation to the provision of orthopaedic services for children. A recent report published by the Health Information and Quality Authority into the use of unlicensed metal springs in spinal procedures on three children in Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin found children were 'not protected from the risk of harm'. A third report, by orthopaedic consultant Selvadurai Nayagam, is also being carried out in relation to adverse surgical outcomes.
