Parents of Harvey Morrison Sherratt to appear on RTÉ's Late Late Show

David Raleigh

The parents of Harvey Morrison Sherratt, a nine-year-old boy who died following a long wait for surgery for scoliosis, will appear on RTÉ's The Late Late Show on Friday night.

Gillian Sherratt and Stephen Morrison will reiterate their call for a statutory inquiry into orthopaedic services for children with complex health conditions, following a number of scandals at hospital operator Children’s Health Ireland (CHI).

Born with Spina Bifida and scoliosis and other serious health issues, Harvey died last July.

As the boy and his family waited for scoliosis surgery, the curve on his spine progressed from a small curve to a life-threatening 130 degree twist, crushing his ribcage and putting pressure on his lungs and heart.

Harvey waited several years for his surgery, despite a 2017 pledge by Tánaiste Simon Harris when he was minister for health that no child would wait longer than four months for scoliosis surgery.

In August 2024, Gillian Sherratt questioned CHI why her son had not been given a surgery date and was informed his name was no longer on their active surgery waiting list.

Harvey eventually had surgery at Temple Street Hospital last year, and his parents said his health noticeably improved thereafter.

However, eight months after surgery Harvey’s health suddenly deteriorated and he died on July 29th.

Last month, under the banner and social media hashtag #JusticeForHarvey, Harvey’s parents joined thousands marching in Dublin City to highlight the waiting list delays, and called for the disbandment of the board of CHI.

Ms Sherratt said they would use their appearance on the RTÉ chat show to continue their call for an independent statutory inquiry into CHI spina bifida and scoliosis services.

As the prolonged scoliosis surgery waiting lists scandal continued, other controversies hit CHI, including a number of children being implanted with unauthorised non medical grade springs; a review that indicated up to 60 per cent of a type of hip operations were unnecessary; and a report claiming a CHI consultant, who was paid thousands of euro by the State’s National Treatment Purchase Fund, breached guidelines by referring public patients to their own private weekend clinics.

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll McNeill said this week she “not satisfied” with CHI’s spinal surgery plans for 2025 and wanted further explanation as to how it was going to reduce the waiting lists.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald told the Dáil last Wednesday that Harvey was “failed by the Government”.

Ms McDonald said the number of children awaiting spinal surgery had risen from 108 to 135, with 40 children waiting more than six months.

Consultant surgeon David Moore, who is leading a government sanctioned CHI spinal surgery management unit, told The Irish Sun last Thursday that the average wait for surgery had been reduced to five months; that 342 surgeries had been performed since the start of 2025, but 370 patients had been added to the waiting list.

CHI said it was “actively working” to reducing wait times. It acknowledged some children are waiting “several months for their first appointment”.

It argued that it was expanding clinic capacity and prioritising “long waiters” and that its “focus remains on making sure every child has timely access to spinal care”.

It said it had hired an additional consultant orthopaedic spinal surgeon last August.