Rose Conway-Walsh Confronts Government Over Scoliosis Failures
Rose Conway-Walsh accused the government of broken promises and neglect in the treatment of young people with scoliosis, highlighting systemic delays and failures. She singled out the case of 17-year-old Mikey Henry, whose spinal curve progressed to 130 degrees after prolonged waits and inadequate monitoring.
Allegations of neglect
She accused the government of allowing families to be threatened, ignored and even reported to Thúsle while children’s conditions worsened. Conway-Walsh said children and young adults were repeatedly told to go home or to their GPs while their ribs and bones crushed their lungs.
Case of Mikey Henry
Conway-Walsh described Mikey Henry as a 17-year-old with a neurological condition in a wheelchair who had a spinal curve of over 100 degrees in 2023. She said his spine and lungs were not monitored for another eight months, his curve reached 130 degrees, and he now requires nightly BiPAP to remove carbon dioxide from his lungs.
Promises and accountability
She noted a promise that patients would wait no longer than four months for surgery and held the Tánaiste and the government responsible for allowing harm to be inflicted on children and young adults. Conway-Walsh said she could not express confidence in the government’s handling of the issue and stated she did not trust them.
Calls for expert insourcing
Conway-Walsh asked why the State was not insourcing expertise from Great Ormond Street Hospital or Stanmore to treat the most severe cases. She argued clinicians abroad would find the level of deterioration unacceptable and would recognise systemic failures in the scheme.
Criticism of the minister’s response
She said the family sought help from the minister last year but received no remedial action, only expressions of goodwill, and that this amounted to letting children and families down. Conway-Walsh conveyed the parents’ anguish and ongoing fight for Mikey’s life.
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I have listened really intently to every word that has been said here today by all of the speakers. And we are here today specifically because of scoliosis and the promises that were made. Where families were threatened, they were ignored, they were told to go away, they were told that they were the problem, they were reported to Thúsle, and it was all under your watch. Children and young adults were told to go home and to go to their GPs, to go home while their ribs and their bones crush their lungs, crush their lungs until they cannot breathe, and that is the fact of why we are here. Mikey Henry, who I have mentioned many times here, is 17 years old with a neurological condition. He is in a wheelchair and he has severe scoliosis. Mikey had a severe scoliosis with a spinal curve of over 100 degrees in 2023. It was made clear to his mum what could happen to his vital organs if scoliosis wasn't treated. Yet Mikey was left to deteriorate. His spine and his lungs were not monitored for another eight months. Meanwhile, his lungs were severely compromised. He is now on a BiPAP machine every night to help to remove the carbon dioxide from his lungs. To quote his parents, our hearts were completely shattered when we were then told that he could not have his scoliosis surgery. His spinal curve is now 130 degrees. It was preventable if only Mikey had been looked for. It would not happen in any other country. And that is the thing, Tanishda. And that is the thing for all of you. It would not happen in any other country. That was made clear yesterday. And I think that is part of why these children couldn't get the help that they needed from abroad either. Because for clinicians in other countries, to see these children and what we had allowed to happen to them would not be acceptable. They would see the scheme of the problem. You promised Mikey and others they would wait no longer than four months for their surgery. Mikey's suffering continues. His parents continue to fight for his life. Why are we not insourcing the expertise from the Great Ormond Street Hospital or for Stanmore? So, Tanishda, if I hold you and your government responsible for allowing harm to be inflicted on these children and young adults, that is why I cannot express confidence in you or your government today. I just don't trust you. And this is from Mikey's mum. We asked Simon Harris for help last year, but it never happened. He just wished our family all the best. What I want to say cannot be said live on TV. So, he has let us down and he has let children down. And that is why Tanishda. And to hear everybody uttering confidence today is deplorable. Thank you very much.
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