More than 1,600 children in Cork on waiting list for audiology assessment

More than 1,600 children in Cork were waiting for an audiology assessment at the end of January, with more than 200 of these children waiting longer than a year to be seen.

Figures from Cork Kerry Community Healthcare (CKCH) show that at the end of last month, 1,609 children were waiting for an initial assessment, with 221 children waiting at least a year for their first audiology assessment, 97 of which were age four or under, and 124 who were aged between five and 17 years.

Cork Kerry Community Healthcare acknowledged the delays and said that efforts are underway to address the waiting lists.

The spokesperson pointed out that 526 children, or 24.6 per cent, have been removed from the overall list since December.

“CKCH acknowledges and regrets that there are waiting lists for children's audiology treatment. We sincerely apologise to anyone experiencing delays in accessing services.

“Progress has been made, with a 49% reduction in the numbers of children waiting more than 52 weeks.

“A further Wait List Initiative is in place to target 124 longest waiting, aged five to 17 years, to have been seen by mid-April 2024,” the spokesperson said.

Concerns

The delays however have been met with criticism.

Sinn Féin Cork North Central TD Thomas Gould voiced concerns that, if not detected early enough, audiology issues could have long-term impacts on a child’s speech.

Details provided to Deputy Gould through a parliamentary question showed that at the end of December, 2,135 children in Cork were waiting for an initial appointment with audiology services.

Of those, 452 children were waiting at least 12 months to see an audiologist, 252 of whom were under the age of four, and 200 of whom were aged between five and 17 years.

“This is a vital time in a child’s life for speech development. Audiology issues could have long-term impacts on a child’s speech if not detected and intervened with early enough.

“Many of these parents are likely deeply concerned, no child should be on a waiting list for healthcare for over 52 weeks. This is simply wrong and shows that there are huge gaps in service in Cork and across this state,” he said.

“I want to be very clear, any child waiting over one year for an audiology appointment is one child too many.

“Reductions are a step forward but these must continue until we see credible waiting lists for these appointments – no childhood should be spent waiting for healthcare," he added.

This was echoed by Fianna Fáil Cork North Central TD Padraig O’Sullivan who said: “It's unacceptable that children should have to wait that long. I am conscious that waiting times have been reduced, but at the same time, it’s totally unacceptable.” 

Referrals 

Referrals to the CKCH audiology service are received directly from GPs or from ear, nose and throat consultants, and assessments are delivered by a team of audiologists who support patients through each stage of their care pathway, from initial assessment to hearing aid fitting and follow-up care.