A mother from County Londonderry has expressed her fears that her four-year-old son with complex needs may die waiting for life-changing surgery. Collette Mullan shared her concerns with BBC Spotlight, which was examining the extent of hospital waiting lists in Northern Ireland. Mullan’s son, Óisín, has cerebral palsy and is waiting for two procedures which will improve his feeding and breathing. Since his nasogastric tube was inserted six months ago, Óisín has had difficulty breathing, constantly choking and vomiting.
With over half a million cases waiting for outpatient or inpatient appointments, Northern Ireland has the worst waiting times for hospital treatment in the UK. The Department of Health has called current waiting lists “entirely unacceptable”. Mullan is calling for more urgency in addressing the issue, as she is concerned that the three-year wait time for Óisín’s procedure puts him at greater risk of complications. “He could die. Anything going into his lung really, it could be very dangerous,” she warns.
The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, where Óisín is waiting for surgery, has apologised for the long waiting time, explaining that the wait for specialist surgery should be no longer than two years. However, only a limited number of paediatric surgeons can perform the procedure which Óisín needs, and the trust added that 75 children are currently waiting for it. Mullan also said that Óisín is waiting for surgery on his hip, which was placed on a list last year, but she has no indication when it may be carried out.
As part of Spotlight’s investigation, health experts were asked to propose solutions for Northern Ireland’s waiting list crisis. To fix the issue, the panel called for greater accountability in the health service, public involvement, and strong political leadership. They also recommended the separation of elective care from urgent and emergency care, helping to increase the number of patients treated and reducing cancellations due to emergency cases. In a statement, the Department of Health said that reconfiguration of hospital services is underway, with the establishment of centres for day procedures and overnight stays
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