Non-Operative Treatment Pathway for Low-Complexity Spinal Patients in Ireland

The Irish healthcare authority is seeking qualified medical service providers to establish a framework agreement for managing approximately 1,200 patients with low-complexity spinal conditions. These patients are currently on neurosurgical waiting lists and require end-to-end outpatient care including initial specialist assessment, diagnostic services, and non-operative treatment. Low-complexity spinal cases are defined as straightforward conditions affecting one or two spinal levels that require standard medical or surgical management with minimal technical difficulty and lower patient risk. Successful providers (including orthopaedic spinal surgeons) will manage patients throughout their non-operative treatment journey, from first specialist appointment through discharge or until surgical intervention becomes clinically necessary. Providers must be eligible to deliver low-complexity spine procedures under Ireland's National Surgical Services Framework to operate under this agreement.