Judge directs CHI to provide Temple Street girl’s outstanding records

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A High Court judge directed that outstanding medical records concerning a girl who underwent spinal surgery at Temple Street Children’s Hospital be provided to her family’s legal team. The proceedings were reported on 7 November 2023.

The girl cannot be named for legal reasons. Her family brought proceedings against Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) and sought records about her care for assessment by an independent expert.

Justice David Nolan said he was not prepared to make a formal order or injunction at that stage because CHI had assured the court it would provide remaining documentation, including medical reviews and X-ray scans.

The family’s counsel accepted that more than 6,600 documents had been provided but said important material remained outstanding, including certain scans and material relating to a rod that had been inserted into the girl’s back, became infected and had to be removed. The family also sought internal medical reviews they believed might have been carried out.

CHI’s counsel, Oonah McCrann SC, said CHI had fully responded and given the family all the child’s records it held, making the matter moot. She said CHI would endeavour to address outstanding matters and provide the additional material and reviews sought if they existed.

Justice Nolan said CHI would have to give the court a full explanation if documents were not provided. He adjourned the matter for a week to allow CHI to provide the material or explain why it could not do so.