Children’s Health Ireland Chair Resigns Following HIQA Report
The Chair of Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), Dr. Jim Browne, has stepped down following a damning report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) into unauthorised spinal surgeries performed at Temple Street Children's Hospital.
HIQA’s investigation revealed that unapproved and non-CE-marked metal springs were implanted in three children as part of spinal procedures carried out between 2020 and 2022. The use of these devices—without proper consent, ethical approval, or oversight—was found to breach both clinical safety standards and national consent policies.
In their findings, HIQA stated that the failure in governance and control at CHI meant that children were “not protected from the risk of harm.” The use of the springs was described as part of a well-intentioned but “ill-considered” effort to reduce the number of surgeries required for some children with complex conditions.
The report also highlighted:
Lack of ethical approval or written management consent for the technique
Failure to inform families about the experimental nature of the surgeries
A breakdown in internal communication, governance, and accountability
Cultural issues within the orthopaedic department that hindered oversight
Dr. Browne, who had chaired CHI since its establishment in 2019, offered an apology to the affected families in his resignation statement, acknowledging the serious failures outlined in the report.
CHI CEO Lucy Nugent and HSE CEO Bernard Gloster have also issued public apologies, pledging to implement reforms and ensure that similar incidents never happen again.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the report demonstrates a serious breach of trust and underscores the urgent need for reform across children’s health services.
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