Fear over delay for baby's operation after specialist surgeon resigns

The father of a nine-month-old boy waiting for cleft lip and palate surgery is concerned it could be delayed following news that Northern Ireland's only specialised consultant plastic surgeon has stepped down.

Jonathan Crooks' son Eli has had two surgeries to close his lip and repair his hard palate but needs another operation before he is 13 months old.

The South Eastern Trust said it is "actively addressing cover for this vacancy to maintain the service".

Crooks said being told that the surgeon who had already operated on his son had resigned seven weeks ago came as a "massive shock".

"We trusted her, she's brilliant at what she does," he said.

"To be told by letter... and also at an appointment with the cleft team that she was resigning, it really did knock us for six," he said.

Eli was born on 25 October 2025 with a bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate.

This is a gap or split in the upper lip and/or roof of the mouth (palate). Clefts occur early in pregnancy when the head and neck are forming.

About 40 babies are born with this in Northern Ireland each year. There are currently 24 cleft lip and palate surgery cases on the waiting list.

If surgery is required, the first operation usually takes place a few months after birth. Further repairs are done as the child grows and gets teeth.

Eli's parents said their baby would require three surgeries in his first year.

But now there is a question mark over the third operation.

"The first surgery is just getting everything pieced together, sealing the lip off, both sides of the lip, doing a wee bit of the hard palate," said his dad.

"Then the second surgery was giving him his defined lip and closing the rest of the hard palate off.

"And then the third surgery, which is the one that we were waiting for, will be his soft palate repair."

Surgery aims to improve the appearance of the face and resolve any feeding and speech problems that may occur.

The South Eastern Trust delivers Northern Ireland's Cleft Lip and Palate Service in partnership with the Belfast Trust.

The South Eastern Trust said it is a "highly specialised service requiring consultant surgeons with specific expertise in cleft surgery".

It said the post has been vacant since 19 June 2026 and while it has been advertised, no applications had been received by the closing date.

The trust said it is "considering the most appropriate timing for re-advertising the post in order to maximise the likelihood of attracting suitable candidate", but could not confirm a timescale for recruitment.

It said it is working closely with Belfast Trust, the Department of Health, and regional partners "to explore options for maintaining service provision during the recruitment period".

As an immediate measure, a former cleft surgeon is providing locum sessions during the summer months.

It added that there have been "advanced discussions" with specialist centres in the UK regarding future arrangements.

This would involve specialist cleft surgeons travelling to Northern Ireland for outpatient assessments, surgical procedures and follow-up care, "ensuring that children can receive continuity of care locally wherever possible".

Crooks said the third surgery is time-critical for Eli's development in speech, language and weaning.

"Eli's third surgery is time bound. He needs to have it by the time that he's 13 months old," he said.

"So, by the end of November, we really need something in place as soon as possible."

He said the cleft team has been brilliant, but he feels "at the mercy of the trust at the minute".

"They just keep telling us that they're working night and day to try and get something sorted.

"We've been reassured plenty of times that the children that have already gone through certain surgeries are going to be the priority.

"Now, again, we want the priority to be every child that's born with a cleft lip and palate, no matter what stage of the journey they're at."

In May 2025, the Department of Health (DoH) published a funding plan for initiatives to tackle hospital waiting lists.

Included were funding specialist procedures for targeted reductions in waiting times for patients waiting for cleft lip.

In September, the health minister cited "very real" progress on waiting lists and pointed to key areas where improvement is being made.

He said by March 2026, no child should wait beyond 13 weeks for cleft lip surgery and that, and other children's surgeries would "make a real difference for families".

The DoH said it "recognises the concerns arising from the vacancy... and the potential impact on affected children and their families".

It said it was working closely with the Trusts "to identify both short-term and long-term solutions".