Devon hospitals rated among best in country for children’s audiology
Plymouth Hospitals Trust has been praised by the National Deaf Children’s Society after it received a prestigious accreditation for its children and adult audiology services last week.
This means that all children’s audiology services across Devon and Cornwall are now accredited, and are among the best services in the country for deaf children and their families.
The Trust’s audiology teams at Derriford Hospital and Mount Gould Local Care Centre have achieved IQIPS (Improving Quality in Physiological Services), an accreditation which shows they are providing patients who are deaf and have hearing loss with high quality care. In addition, this means they are now one of the top rated services in England for children’s audiology.
Plymouth Hospitals Trust is one of only 22 children’s audiology services, out of 134 across the country, to achieve IQIPS accreditation. While 84% of children’s audiology services nationally have had no government check on their quality, parents of Devon and Cornwall’s more than 1,200 deaf children can be reassured that all of the region’s hospitals have now been inspected and given the prestigious accreditation.
Adam Beckman, Head of Audiology Services at Plymouth Hospitals Trust, said: “I am delighted that we have achieved recognition from UKAS for the quality of service we provide. This accreditation confirms that we provide a safe and effective service the people we serve, and is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all the staff here. It is fantastic to be one of the first sites in England to achieve this for paediatric audiology.”
Dr Sarah Collinson, South West Regional Director at the National Deaf Children’s Society, commented: ““For the 200 deaf children in Plymouth, and all of those deaf children living in the surrounding area, this is fantastic news. With all audiology services in Devon and Cornwall now accredited, parents right across the South West Peninsula can be sure that their children are receiving good quality care.
“Nationally, however, very few children’s audiology services have done this. A good audiology service is a vital lifeline for deaf children – but without mandatory inspections of all children’s audiology services, this can’t be guaranteed. We urge the Health Minister, Jackie Doyle Price MP, to take action now to ensure the England’s 45,000 deaf children are not being left behind.”
Dr Sarah Wollaston, MP for Totnes and Chair of the Health Select Committee in Parliament added: “I would like to thank the National Deaf Children’s Society and all those working locally for children with hearing loss for helping to make a difference at such an important time in their lives.”
To find out more, go to www.ndcs.org.uk/listenup
