News & Info

The findings of the hip surgery audit have sent shockwaves throughout Ireland since its publication in May 2025, as it was announced that almost 70% of hip operations on young babies and children at Cappagh and Temple Street Hospitals, over a 15-year period, were deemed unnecessary.

Elaine Hickey, Head of Medical Negligence at Tracey Solicitors LLP, and a mother of two, says she is saddened by how the health service has let down the affected children and parents.

“The difficult thing for parents is that they put their trust in the health service at a particularly vulnerable time. They believed that they were getting the right information from the experts, and to breach that trust is so damaging.”

“It also really undermines the public’s faith in our health system, which was already eroded by very long waiting lists and other controversies and scandals.”

Elaine says she understands the concern that parents go through when faced with surgery for their child.

“It’s so traumatic for anyone to go through surgery, especially for a young child. And it is incredibly difficult for a parent to see their child go through surgery.”

“The day-to-day repercussions of recovering from a hip surgery are huge, particularly for a young baby or child. Everything is affected, from going to the toilet, eating or sleeping or being able to go to school or play. And then there is the pain involved and managing the impact of that. So, for any child to have to go through surgery unnecessarily is unacceptable.”

Elaine says that the legal system can offer some sense of justice to parents who have been affected.

“When something like this happens, it can be important for people to have a sense of closure and get legal recognition that what happened was wrong. Not only that, but it is a way of holding those responsible to account and ensuring that it doesn’t happen again.”

Elaine explains that, as with all medical negligence cases, the first step in taking legal action is to contact a solicitor who specialises in the area so that they may advise you.

“Your solicitor will ask you to set out to the best of your knowledge as to exactly what happened and when. The solicitor will request your medical records and request a report from an independent medical expert, usually based in the UK. They will review the records to determine if there was negligence involved, and the case will usually proceed from there.”

“A medical negligence case is not an easy journey to take,” adds Elaine, “so we do our very best to make it as smooth as possible and help those affected to get the justice that they deserve.”

If you have been affected by the hip surgery audit, and would like to find out your legal rights, call us on 01 649 9900 for a confidential discussion.