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Newborn Hearing Screening Wales Annual Statistical Report 2021-22

Details:

Published on: 1st October 2024

  • All Wales/National
  • Annual

This is the eighteenth annual statistical report published by Newborn Hearing Screening Wales (NBHSW). This report covers data for babies born between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022.

Headline statistics

Screening

  • The coverage rates show that screening was offered to 99.9% of Eligible babies (29,487) with 99.0% of Eligible babies tested (29,180) and very few parents declining the screen. Service standards were met.
  • Across Wales, 70.1% of Well babies were screened within seven days of birth which meets the standard of 70%.
  • 91.1% of Well babies completed screening within 28 days, achieving service standard.
  • 100.0% of High Risk babies completed the screening programme, meeting the service standard.

Assessment

  • 1.5% of babies screened were referred for audiology assessment, in line with service standards.
  • 91.6% 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 for Well babies was impacted by attendance of planned appointments, with 96.3% of Well babies being offered and achieving the standard, but only 84.7 % attending (within 28 days of final screening test).
  • The time taken to start the assessment process was within the allocated time for 99.4% of High Risk babies (within 56 days of final screening test), achieving service standards.
  • 73.5% of assessment appointments were attended.
  • 3.6% of babies referred for assessment were not seen due to non-attendance.

Outcomes

  • In babies born between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, the prevalence of diagnosed permanent hearing loss greater than 40 dBHL in both ears was 1.0 per 1,000 of those babies screened. This is slightly less 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 9.9 weeks.
  • The mean age of hearing aid fitting was 16.5 weeks.
  • 81.5% of babies were fitted with hearing aids within four weeks of confirmation of hearing loss.

Report downloads

Newborn Hearing Screening Wales Annual Statistical Report 2021-22

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Download PDF - Newborn Hearing Screening Wales Annual Statistical Report 2021-22 (1 MB)

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