Brian O'Connell

They referred my query on to the NTPF.

They sent me a reply telling me all about this new protocol.

They said the rollout is now in its final phase.

When it's complete, then they'll be able to publish wait times and waiting list data.

But despite requests, they weren't able to send me any detail.

Now, the latest data up until now we had, as I said, was from December 2025.

Well, it tells us that, for example, the latest data doesn't include all hospitals, I should say.

So CUH in Cork, Bantry and Mallow are not included in this data.

What it tells us, there are over 274,000 waiting for diagnostic scans at the end of Q1 this year.

15% waiting more than 18 months later.

with almost one in four waiting a year or more.

Now, Clare Cahill, who's from the Scoliosis Advocacy Network, she spoke to me about the impact not having timely access to diagnostics can have.

And what is happening in practice, Clare?

Are parents and patients simply trying to access private care?

What impact does it have when you can't get timely access to diagnostics?

And then, as I have discovered, we have some of the most advanced high-tech scanning equipment in the world sitting idle on the site of the new National Children's Hospital, in some cases since June 2024.

And I suppose everyone would have accepted there would have been a bit of a lag from when you put equipment on a site to when the site is open and fully functioning.

But I mean, up to three years by the time it opens, possibly.

And I think, you know, as we refer to there, everybody would accept that there would be some bit of a lag time between placing the equipment on the site, getting it up to speed, and then the ongoing delays are adding to that lag time.

So that's what's really creating the frustrations here.