Mother's fight for son's 'life-changing' surgery

Óisin's mum Collette was told he could be waiting up to three years for surgery

The mother of a five-year-old boy who feared he could die on a waiting list has described recent surgery as "life-changing".

Collette Mullan said six months ago her son Óisín's breathing was so bad he would choke until he vomited.

The child was struggling because of a feeding tube in his nose.

He faced up to up to three years on a waiting list to have it removed.

After appearing in a BBC Spotlight programme, a private clinic helped facilitate a special arrangement and Óisín underwent the procedure.

The Department of Health has now told BBC News NI that it would “welcome the opportunity” to engage with independent providers proposing to help children in a similar situation.

In September, there were 75 children waiting for the same procedure – a gastrostomy, or PEG insertion, whereby a feeding tube in the nose is replaced with a tube directly into the stomach.

There are currently 94 children on the waiting list.

'He smiled from ear to ear'

Óisín’s surgery was facilitated by Kingsbridge Private Hospital.

“He got the surgery done on the Friday and by the Sunday, it’s as if he knew, there’s something different here in my life," Ms Mullan told BBC News NI.

"He smiled from ear-to-ear. It was amazing."

She said having the operation meant Óisín now has a "far better" quality of life.

“We’re just so thankful to get it done. It’s been life-changing for us, and more so for wee Óisín.”

But most children have not been so lucky.

Dr Ray Nethercott, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health officer for Ireland, said he was “dismayed” by Northern Ireland’s “dire” paediatric waiting lists and that a long-term solution needed to be found.

Dr Nethercott said he would not comment on specific cases, but that "for a very young child, three years is a complete lifetime".

“Children have a different perception of time," he added.

"Children progress through developmental steps, or windows if you want to consider it that way, and to miss a window will take significant time to recover from.”

Northern Ireland waiting list pressures

Óisín’s surgery was facilitated by Kingsbridge Private Hospital.

It told BBC News NI that it was willing to “create the surgical capacity and expertise” to carry out the procedure, which would help address the current waiting list.

But it said doing so would require engagement from the Health and Social Care trusts, particularly if it was to offer the surgery free at the point of delivery.

In a statement, the Department of Health said partnering with independent sector providers had been “a long-standing approach to mitigating the gaps between demand for elective care and existing Health and Social Care capacity” through its Waiting List Initiative.

But it warned that the initiative would be “severely impacted by the intensifying pressures on the health budget”.

It added: “The department would welcome the opportunity of engagement with independent providers in relation to proposals for this type of surgery.”

Dr Nethercott said this was the type of partnership should be considered, but he warned it could be a short-term solution.

He said fixing the health service should be the top priority.

“If we can ensure that those who are in most need are dealt with within the private sector, and not just those with the most wealth, then we could use that capacity in a sensible and pragmatic way,” he said.

“You have to be very mindful and careful of what’s the long-term objective and goal.

"Yes, we could clear a waiting list of 100 patients quite quickly, but how quickly might that waiting list reaccumulate if we haven’t fixed the problems within the NHS.”

'Keep fighting'

ÓIsín's mum said having the surgery had changed his life.

For Óisín, he still lives with a number of complex needs, including cerebral palsy.

But his mum said having the surgery has changed his life.

To other parents with children in a similar position to Óisín, she said: “Shout, keep shouting."

“The person that shouts the loudest is the one that gets listened to," she said.

“Óisín was one of the lucky ones to get [the surgery] done. Any other parent sitting out there, just keep fighting for your child.

"Keep fighting for them.”

Watch: Óisín's waiting list struggle

Collette Mullan and Óisín's story was originally covered by BBC Spotlight in October last year - watch How Do We Fix Our Waiting Lists? on BBC iPlayer