Dr Kingdon, former President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to review the response of NHS England to service failures in children's hearing services and to make recommendations for improvement.
Today the review reveals systemic failures across the NHS and Department of Health that left hundreds of babies and children with undiagnosed hearing problems, causing lifelong developmental harm.
In response to Dr Kingdon’s review, Professor Steve Turner, RCPCH President said:
Dr Kingdon’s review does not make for easy reading. At its heart are the babies, children and families who have been let down by a system that should have protected them. My thoughts are with those affected by these serious failures.
As a leading voice for child health, the College is deeply concerned that systemic failures across the NHS in England and Department of Health and Social Care has meant that hundreds of babies and children’s serious hearing problems were missed. The Kingdon review is a vital step towards ensuring that this does not happen again.
While some progress has been made in some regions, urgent action is needed to support the children affected, and to prevent future harm. I urge the government to publish its full response to the comprehensive recommendations from Dr Kingdon without delay.
This review shines a spotlight on paediatric audiology services, but I believe this is just one example of how children’s services routinely overlooked, undervalued and underfunded. This lack of respect for our children’s health and wellbeing has serious implications for individuals and wider society and must change at pace. I hope the findings of this review encourage the government to heed our calls to invest in children’s health services and the paediatric workforce that supports them.