I don’t have faith in Coveney’s promise
Scoliosis patient had two ops cancelled in a year
A SCOLIOSIS patient who has been repeatedly let down despite promises to address the curvature of her spine says she can’t be confident of a new pledge by the Tánaiste yesterday.
Aisling Corcoran, a 31-year-old woman from Mayo, travelled to the Dáil with her mother Tricia yesterday after three months of not hearing from the health service after the cancelling of two scheduled operations last year.
Simon Coveney promised her a new operation within the next three months after her case was raised yesterday by Independent TD Joan Collins, who drew attention to the fact that both women were in the public gallery.
A scoliosis ‘action plan’ was drawn up by the Government in 2016 after months of criticism of the failure to provide theatre time for victims – whose condition and pain becomes progressively worse and more complicated, meaning it is more expensive for the State when they are eventually treated.
But despite the pledge of an end to suffering on waiting lists, Aisling has undergone repeated frustration and disappointment to go with her eternal aches and discomfort.
She told the Irish Daily Mail yesterday: ‘My hopes have been shattered a few times, and I haven’t heard a thing from the hospital since my last operation was cancelled in November.’
Her case is now so bad that she needs two surgeons for her operation – but only one is available at Tallaght Hospital, with one surgeon absent for a prolonged period for personal reasons.
‘If we’re waiting on one surgeon, I can’t see why they can’t bring over a surgeon from Britain under the National Treatment Purchase Fund,’ Aisling argued yesterday.
‘We need help and we don’t need strategies or plans set for years away. I don’t see any reason why I can’t be sent abroad for this surgery to be carried out. Any professional spinal consultant should have the ability to assess me.
Mr Coveney’s promise of a theatre date was not something she could completely trust because of the history of cancellations, she said. ‘It is very tiring to take on promises.
‘I am not that confident with this response as I have been let down with two previous dates in 2017. I’m really anxious and in pain, on the priority list for this surgery and I would hate to see how long someone would be waiting who is not on the list. It’s not acceptable.’
Aisling had rods inserted when she was a young child because she had scoliosis. In 2014, the rods had to be removed as they were infected and she went on the waiting list for reinsertion surgery.
A consultant surgeon in University Hospital Galway finally wrote that ‘in the current context of allocation of resource to me at my hospital I do not see it happening easily for the foreseeable future.’
She was transferred to a consultant in Tallaght Hospital in January 2016 and placed on the surgery list as a priority. A date of September 5 last saw her come up to Dublin for pre-op assessment, scans and Xrays. But the op was cancelled by the surgeon due to personal matters. Rescheduled for November 28, Ailing went through the same process only for cancellation again at the eleventh hour, also for personal reasons of the surgeon.
Mr Coveney said: ‘Tallaght Hospital is committed to completing the procedure in three months’ time.’
He added: ‘Nobody should have to wait four years. It should have been dealt with before now.’
‘I’m really anxious and in pain’