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Newborn Hearing Screening Wales Annual Statistical Report 2020-21

Details:

Published on: 1st August 2024

  • All Wales/National
  • Annual

This is the seventeenth annual statistical report published by Newborn Hearing Screening Wales (NBHSW). This report covers data for babies born between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021.

Headline statistics

Screening

  • The coverage rates show that screening was offered to 93.2% of eligible babies (26,306) with 92.2% of eligible babies tested (26,093) and very few parents declining the screen. Service standards were not met.
  • Across Wales, 75.9% of Well babies were screened within seven days of birth which meets the standard of 70%.
  • 93.8% of Well babies completed screening within four weeks, achieving service standard.
  • 99.9% of High Risk babies completed the screening programme, meeting the service standard.

Assessment

  • 1.6% of babies screened were referred for audiology assessment, in line with service standards.
  • 94.5% of babies referred for audiology assessment completed the assessment process within three months, meeting the service standard.
  • The time taken to start the assessment process was within the allocated time for 95.3% of Well babies (within four weeks of final screening test) and 99.5% of High Risk babies (within eight weeks of final screening test), both achieving service standards.
  • 97.2% of babies referred attended an assessment, meeting service standards.
  • 78.5% of assessment appointments were attended.
  • 2.8% of babies referred for assessment were not seen due to non-attendance.

Outcomes

  • In babies born between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021, the prevalence of diagnosed permanent hearing loss greater than 40 dBHL in both ears was 1.5 per 1,000 of those babies screened. This is slightly higher than the prevalence recorded since the start of the programme which is 1.2 per 1,000.
  • The mean age of confirmation of hearing loss was 8.2 weeks.
  • The mean age of hearing aid fitting was 11.5 weeks.
  • 96.0% of babies were fitted with hearing aids within four weeks of confirmation of hearing loss.

Report downloads

Newborn Hearing Screening Wales Annual Statistical Report 2020-21

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Download PDF - Newborn Hearing Screening Wales Annual Statistical Report 2020-21 (1 MB)

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