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Redesigning the pathway for children with permanent childhood hearing impairment in a district general hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2025

Natalia Glibbery Open the ORCID record for Natalia Glibbery [Opens in a new window] ,
Breeane Garland ,
William Wakeford  and
Dimitrios Ioannidis
Natalia Glibbery*
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Colchester Hospital, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, UK
Breeane Garland
Affiliation:
Department of Audiology, Colchester Hospital, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, UK
William Wakeford
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Colchester Hospital, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, UK
Dimitrios Ioannidis
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Colchester Hospital, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, UK
*
Corresponding author: Natalia Glibbery; Email: nat.glibbery@gmail.com
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Abstract

Objective

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a newly implemented protocol for the management of permanent childhood hearing impairment in a UK district general hospital.

Methods

A retrospective closed-loop audit was conducted over two 24-month cycles. Children diagnosed with permanent childhood hearing impairment, through the national hearing screening program, were included.

Results

Implementation of the new protocol led to significant improvements between the two cycles. The mean time from diagnosis to first ENT review reduced from 439.4 to 188.1 days. The interval from diagnosis to magnetic resonance imaging acquisition improved from 617.8 to 58.5 days (p < 0.05), whilst the mean age at magnetic resonance imaging reduced from 758.3 to 102.6 days (p < 0.05). Magnetic resonance imaging utilisation increased from 60 per cent to 100 per cent, and genetic referrals rose from 28.6 per cent to 100 per cent.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the effectiveness of a streamlined protocol in improving multidisciplinary care for children with permanent childhood hearing impairment, offering a model for broader adoption in similar healthcare settings

Keywords

cytomegalovirus infectionsgenetic testinghearing lossmagnetic resonance imagingneonatal screeningsensorineural

Information

Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 140 , Issue 1 , January 2026 , pp. 60 - 64
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED.

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Footnotes

Natalia Glibbery takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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