§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much his Department has invested in neonatal hearing screening for each of the last five years; [131332]
(2) how much his Department plans to spend on (a) the launch and (b) the national roll-out of the neonatal hearing screening pilot project in each of the next three years; [131333]
(3) what cost to benefit analysis his Department has carried out of introducing universal neonatal hearing screening; [131334]
(4) what studies his Department has carried out into the benefits of neonatal hearing screening; [131335]
(5) what his Department's timetable is for the national roll-out of the neonatal hearing screening pilot project; when an announcement about a timetable will be made; and what factors will inform the timing of an announcement of the timetable; [131336]
(6) if he will review the findings of the Colorado research project on neonatal hearing screening; [131337]
(7) what consultations his Department has had with disability organisations of and for deaf and hard of hearing people about the launch of the neonatal hearing screening pilot project; [131338]
(8) when his Department will establish an advisory group to advise on the launch and national roll-out of its pilot project for neonatal hearing screening; and when it will announce the composition of the group; [131339]
498W(9)by what process his Department will establish (a) the criteria, (b) the selection procedure and (c) the timetable for the establishment of the 20 neonatal hearing screening pilot sites; [131340]
(10) what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Education and Employment about developing the provision of language and education support for children from zero to two years in preparation for (a) the launch and (b) the national roll-out of its pilot project for neonatal hearing screening; [131341]
(11) what discussions his Department (a) has had and
(b) plans to have with (i) health authorities and NHS trusts, (ii) paediatric audiologists, (iii) ENT consultants, (iv) speech and language therapists and (v) cochlear implant centres about (A) the launch and (B) the national roll-out of the neonatal hearing screening pilot project. [131342]
§ Yvette CooperInvestment in neonatal hearing screening over the last five years is estimated to be in the region of £18 million per annum: that is £3 million per annum on targeted neonatal hearing screening and £15 million per annum on health visitors performing the infant distraction test.
The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (NSC) has recommended that a universal neonatal hearing screening (UNHS) programme should replace the infant distraction test to screen for hearing impairment. This was based on a report by the health technology assessment programme 'A critical review of the role of neonatal screening in the detection of congenital hearing impairment'.
An expert group, which included representatives of professional groups, National Health Service bodies, voluntary organisations, Government Departments and other interested bodies, was convened by the NSC and undertook further detailed work on the benefits, cost-benefits and feasibility and service issues of developing a UNHS programme. The committee took existing and emerging research findings into account in making its recommendations.
We have recently agreed to conduct a pilot programme to evaluate the optimum way in which this change in service delivery might be achieved. The pilot programme will run for 12 months at a cost of £750,000. The pilot will help us gain a better understanding of the operational implications of running a national programme, including its potential cost.
Project and steering groups will be established shortly to oversee the development of the pilot programme. Key professional, voluntary, NHS and policy stakeholders will be appropriately involved. The Department will be writing to the NHS about participating in the pilot project and the timescales later in the autumn.