Jonathan Crooks fears his nine-month-old son Eli could face a delay to a time-sensitive cleft palate operation after Northern Ireland's only specialist consultant plastic surgeon resigned. Eli, born 25 October 2025 with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, has already had two surgeries and needs a third before he turns 13 months. The South Eastern Trust says the post has been vacant since 19 June 2026, received no applicants and is pursuing locum cover and talks with UK centres while it re-advertises. The Department of Health is working with trusts on short- and long-term solutions.
Father Fears Time-Critical Cleft Surgery Delay After Northern Ireland's Only Specialist Resigns
There are currently 24 cleft lip and palate surgery cases on the waiting list [BBC]
A father has warned that his nine-month-old son's next cleft lip and palate operation could be delayed after Northern Ireland's only dedicated consultant plastic surgeon for cleft work stepped down.
Who is affected? Jonathan Crooks says his son, Eli, born on 25 October 2025 with a bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate, has already had two procedures — to close the lip and repair the hard palate — and urgently needs a third operation to repair the soft palate before he turns 13 months old.
Eli's father Jonathan commended his previous surgeon saying "she was brilliant at what she does" [BBC]
"We trusted her, she's brilliant at what she does," Crooks said of the surgeon who resigned. He added that learning about the resignation seven weeks after it happened was "a massive shock" to the family.
Why the timing matters
Cleft repairs are staged to support feeding, growth and speech development. Crooks stressed the third operation is "time bound" and crucial for Eli's speech, language development and weaning: "He needs to have it by the time that he's 13 months old — so, by the end of November, we really need something in place as soon as possible."
Eli's parents are unsure when he will receive his next surgery - but her has already had two repairs to his mouth [BBC]
Service pressures and what the Trust is doing
The South Eastern Trust, which runs Northern Ireland's Cleft Lip and Palate Service in partnership with the Belfast Trust, confirmed the specialist post has been vacant since 19 June 2026. The initial advert received no applications by the closing date.
The trust described the service as "highly specialised" and said it is actively addressing cover for the vacancy. Immediate measures include locum sessions provided by a former cleft surgeon during the summer months. The trust also said there have been advanced discussions with specialist centres elsewhere in the UK about having visiting surgeons travel to Northern Ireland to carry out outpatient assessments, operations and follow-up care to preserve continuity locally wherever possible.
Jonothan's priority is "making sure everything's done for Eli" [BBC]
The Trust added it is working closely with Belfast Trust, the Department of Health and regional partners to explore short- and long-term options, and it is considering the timing of re-advertising the post to maximise the chance of attracting suitable candidates. No recruitment timescale has been confirmed.
Wider context
About 40 babies are born with a cleft in Northern Ireland each year and there are currently 24 cases on the waiting list for cleft lip and palate surgery. In May 2025 the Department of Health published a funding plan targeting reductions in waiting times, including specialist procedures such as cleft surgery. The Department previously set a target that, by March 2026, no child should wait beyond 13 weeks for cleft lip surgery.
Eli was born with a bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate [BBC]
The Department of Health said it recognises concerns about the vacancy and is working with the trusts to identify both short-term and long-term solutions.
Family reaction
Crooks praised the cleft team but said the family now feels "at the mercy of the trust" as they wait for firm plans. He urged that priority be given to all children born with a cleft, regardless of where they are in their treatment pathway.
What happens next? The trust remains in talks with regional partners and UK specialist centres to secure visiting surgeon cover and is assessing how best to re-advertise and fill the permanent post. Families with upcoming, time-critical procedures have been told they will be prioritised where possible.
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