External audit of hip surgeries in children’s hospitals after protected disclosure

Senior UK consultant surgeon who was tasked by Children’s Health Ireland to undertake the audit in April resigned from the process a month later

Cute baby sitting with legs facing backwards. W sitting position

David Raleigh

An external audit of hip surgeries on children at Dublin hospitals run by Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), and, at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh (NOHC), has been sanctioned after “concerns” relating to criteria for the surgeries were raised in a protected disclosure, CHI and NOHC said.

It has also emerged that a senior NHS consultant surgeon who was tasked by CHI to undertake the audit in April this year, resigned from the process a month later, claiming CHI failed to pay him. He also cited concerns about a “lack of clarity” and “confusion regarding the direction” he received from CHI.