Classification: Official
Publication reference: PRN01584_i
To:
- integrated care board chief executives
- integrated care board medical directors
- integrated care board finance directors
cc:
- NHS England regional directors
- NHS England medical directors
- NHS England finance directors
Dear colleagues,
National Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme – immediate actions for integrated care boards
We are writing to outline the national response integrated care boards (ICBs) are expected to follow as part of the ongoing Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement (PHSI) Programme.
As you will be aware, the PHSI Programme was established in response to the identification of systemic issues in NHS paediatric audiology services in England, including the misdiagnosis of childhood hearing impairment and the need for system-wide improvements. In collaboration with ICBs, providers, NHS regions, Care Quality Commission, and professional bodies, we are working to ensure that these services deliver safe, high-quality, and timely care for all children.
Since our last communication, significant efforts have been made to understand the scale of these emerging challenges and develop the necessary strategic tools and interventions in preparation for a nationally coordinated review of all paediatric audiology services. This process ensures that children at risk of harm due to misdiagnosis are identified and recalled for reassessment.
NHS England regions have made substantial progress and have completed desktop reviews of all 140 paediatric audiology services across England. Of these, 90 services were found to have either low or partial levels of quality assurance and will now require further, in-depth reviews to determine if babies and children need to be recalled for reassessment. Our national ambition is to complete all patient reassessments by March 2025, ensuring that all patients are either discharged or placed on an appropriate treatment pathway by September 2025.
Next steps for integrated care boards: implementation and actions
Where an ICB has a paediatric audiology service(s) that has been identified with either low or partial levels of quality assurance, the ICB is responsible for implementing the national review and recall process. This includes providing adequate levels of resources and funding, compliance with data reporting requirements, monitoring patient reassessments, and tracking patient outcomes. This will be supplemented by the provision of nationally funded subject matter experts – senior scientists trained in technical reviews such as auditory brainstem response traces – who will provide support at the system level.
We ask that ICBs identify a named senior lead to oversee the process and collaborate with NHS England and paediatric audiology providers. Please provide details of this person by Wednesday 2 October 2024 to england.csohearingprogramme@nhs.net
A series of webinars will run throughout October and November 2024 to provide detailed information and guidance on the review and recall process. These webinars will offer an opportunity to clarify any issues and ensure that all stakeholders are aligned in their approach. Invitations will be sent to designated ICB leads and regional colleagues.
We appreciate your continued commitment to improving paediatric audiology services, and we look forward to working with you to ensure that every child receives the safe, high-quality care they deserve.
Operational guidance is available to support the process. For further information, or if you have specific queries, please contact the national PHSI Programme inbox england.csohearingprogramme@nhs.net. We are committed to providing ongoing support to local systems as we work through this process.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Dame Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer for England and SRO for Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme, NHS England
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director, NHS England
Steve Russell, Chief Delivery Officer and National Director for Vaccinations and Screening, NHS England