The information – on top of 561 surgeries reviewed so far – came from Childrens Health Ireland, which administers Crumlin and Temple Street hospitals, and the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Cappagh.
CHI revealed today it had written to 1,757 parents of children and young people, who underwent hip surgery as far back as 2010.
Cappagh wrote to 502 parents of patients who similarly had in surgery in the north west Dublin hospital. The combined figures for letters sent out amounts to 2,259. Added to the 561 cases already reviewed, the total is 2,320.
Cappagh and CHI both said that the patients “will continue to be monitored to skeletal maturity”.
They added that they would communicate further with families when the clinical audit into cases between 2021 and 2023, a two-year window, was complete.
The audit report is now expected by the end of next week at the latest. Once received, CHI and Cappagh said, “any required additional steps will be taken as part of an Action Plan”.
“We recognise the concerns of our patients’ families and are committed to expediting the audit process.”
They would then publish the findings and implement any required actions”, prioritising “open and transparent communication” with patient families — who have complained about being left in the dark.
In response to the disclosures, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she noted the number “of all those potentially impacted by the independent clinical audit”.
It was an admission that others are potentially affected back to 2010, which Government earlier this week had downplayed, suggesting they were routine follow-up communications.
“The minister is very conscious of the concern that will be felt by all patients and families affected,” a spokesperson said. “The audit process is nearing completion and the Minister has been advised that it will be finalised and completed imminently.”
Earlier, the Taoiseach said he couldn’t “force the pace” over demands to see the audit report.
The Social Democrats said it was ridiculous that letters were now being sent out over operations going back to 2010, but the Government could not say how many.
Hours later, CHI and Cappagh made the figure known.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald claimed the Taoiseach had “misled the Dáil” by suggesting the letters had to do with routine follow-up.
She was supported by former SF member Peadar Tóibín of Aontú, who also called on Mr Martin to correct the record of the Dáil.
Ms McDonald said the letters specifically “refer to an early recommendation from the audit” and therefore had to do with what it was finding. Families were being put on notice.
Mr Martin suggested he had not seen such wording. Ms McDonald replied that she suspected the Taoiseach “knows the number” of additional letters sent out on foot of the audit window.
The Taoiseach said this was false, as Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty said: “State the facts.”
Mr Martin responded: “Stop the politics.” He added: “Angry tactics is par for the course from you.”
But he added: “It’s horrendous if anything wrong was done.”
Mr Martin said the Government was waiting for the audit report, which was “fairly imminent, I hope.”
He remarked: “I can’t force the pace.”
Mr Martin also ridiculed the idea that the “number of these letters is the key to something – it isn’t.”
The audit was “a mission to find the facts”, he said, as to whether actions took place that were “untoward”.
Sinn Féin accused him of ignoring the fears of a growing number of families whose children had possibly unnecessary hip surgeries in Temple Street, Crumlin and Cappagh hospitals — and as far back as 2010.
Social Democrats stand-in Cian O’Callaghan said claims that the audit was about to be delivered had been made 10 weeks ago, and parents of the children involved had received no further information.
“For months you repeated that same mantra, and again yesterday you refused to provide any timeline for the publication of this report. In fact, you bristled at the notion that you would even be asked the question.
“The audit is independent, but that doesn’t mean that the Government should be totally in the dark about when parents are finally going to get some answers.
“It raises further questions about the Government’s competence and control of the scandal.”
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