§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when universal neonatal hearing screening will be piloted; in which health authorities it will be piloted; and how long it will be piloted before the Government announce the timetable for the national implementation of UNHS. [151925]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 5 March 2001]: Universal neonatal hearing screening is due to be piloted, initially in 20 health authorities. This phase will start in March 2001 and will be staged over 12 months. An announcement will be made early next year about a timetable for national implementation taking account of the initial findings of the pilot. The first 20 health authorities are:
- Avon HA
- Bradford HA
- Buckinghamshire HA
- Calderdale & Kirklees HA
- Camden & Islington HA
- East London HA
- East Sussex, Brighton & Hove HA
- Manchester HA
- Norfolk HA
- North Cheshire HA
- North Staffordshire HA
- North Trent Consortia (including: Barnsley, North Derbyshire & Sheffield HAs)
- Northumberland HA
- Nottingham HA
- Oxfordshire HA
190W - Redbridge & Waltham Forest HA
- Shropshire HA
- Southampton & South West Hampshire HA
- Stockport HA
- Wiltshire HA.