A PLEDGE MADE by Simon Harris when he was the Minister for Health in 2017 has come back into the spotlight once again after a recent interview on Virgin Media Television.
The promise, which was made not long after Harris became Minister for Health, was that by the end of 2017 there would be no children waiting more than four months for spinal surgery needed to treat scoliosis.
In a Virgin Media interview on 13 November, the Taoiseach accepted that he had failed to deliver on that promise – but said the number of children waiting more than four months had come down significantly by the time he left his role as Minister for Health in June 2020.
**What is scoliosis?**
Scoliosis is a condition in which a person’s spine is irregularly curved to the side. It most commonly occurs during growth spurts experienced in adolescence, although it can develop in adults too. As well as causing pain, the curvature of the spine can lead to a range of other health problems; for example, it can affect a person’s breathing.
In severe cases, the required treatment is spinal surgery.
Because scoliosis can get worse if it goes untreated and **can eventually result in a person becoming disabled**, time is of the essence when it comes to getting an operation. If a person suffering from scoliosis does not get surgery promptly, it can end up being too risky to operate, and therefore too late.
**Since Harris made his promise in 2017, the target has never been met.**
According to official figures provided by CHI, when Harris finished his tenure as health minister in **June 2020, there were 177 children waiting** for spinal surgeries.
Of those, **138 had been waiting for three months or more,** according to the HSE. The figures are broken down into three-month periods, which makes it difficult to know the exact number who were waiting more than four months.
However, **the number waiting more than six months in June 2020 was 83. This is much higher than the 35 figure offered by Simon Harris** in his Virgin Media interview last week.
According to CHI’s latest report, published in October 2024, there were 247 children on waiting lists, 118 of whom are classified as “active”, meaning they are ready for surgery and are awaiting a date.
Of those 118 children, 72 had been waiting more than three months.
great_whitehope on
No surprise he lied when he’s failing sick kids.
Shows the character of the man though
das_punter on
One child is one too many
Wise_Adhesiveness746 on
They always lie,all the time
It’s sickening theres no consequences or requirement for anyone to accept responsibility for failure
thats_pure_cat_hai on
Lying about failing sick children. The man has absolutely no shame.
6 Comments
A PLEDGE MADE by Simon Harris when he was the Minister for Health in 2017 has come back into the spotlight once again after a recent interview on Virgin Media Television.
The promise, which was made not long after Harris became Minister for Health, was that by the end of 2017 there would be no children waiting more than four months for spinal surgery needed to treat scoliosis.
In a Virgin Media interview on 13 November, the Taoiseach accepted that he had failed to deliver on that promise – but said the number of children waiting more than four months had come down significantly by the time he left his role as Minister for Health in June 2020.
**What is scoliosis?**
Scoliosis is a condition in which a person’s spine is irregularly curved to the side. It most commonly occurs during growth spurts experienced in adolescence, although it can develop in adults too. As well as causing pain, the curvature of the spine can lead to a range of other health problems; for example, it can affect a person’s breathing.
In severe cases, the required treatment is spinal surgery.
Because scoliosis can get worse if it goes untreated and **can eventually result in a person becoming disabled**, time is of the essence when it comes to getting an operation. If a person suffering from scoliosis does not get surgery promptly, it can end up being too risky to operate, and therefore too late.
**Since Harris made his promise in 2017, the target has never been met.**
According to official figures provided by CHI, when Harris finished his tenure as health minister in **June 2020, there were 177 children waiting** for spinal surgeries.
Of those, **138 had been waiting for three months or more,** according to the HSE. The figures are broken down into three-month periods, which makes it difficult to know the exact number who were waiting more than four months.
However, **the number waiting more than six months in June 2020 was 83. This is much higher than the 35 figure offered by Simon Harris** in his Virgin Media interview last week.
According to CHI’s latest report, published in October 2024, there were 247 children on waiting lists, 118 of whom are classified as “active”, meaning they are ready for surgery and are awaiting a date.
Of those 118 children, 72 had been waiting more than three months.
No surprise he lied when he’s failing sick kids.
Shows the character of the man though
One child is one too many
They always lie,all the time
It’s sickening theres no consequences or requirement for anyone to accept responsibility for failure
Lying about failing sick children. The man has absolutely no shame.
He just comes across as the teacher he never was.