The National Deaf Children’s Society has responded to the announcement that the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme has now screened 11 million babies since it began in 2006.

Mike Hobday, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said:

“Around half of deaf children are born deaf, so the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme is a vital tool in discovering deafness as soon as possible.

“When they’re identified early on, a deaf child can be given the tailored support they need straight away, which is crucial for their development of language and communication. It also means that parents can quickly start to understand deafness and learn how to support their child from the very start.

“With the right support, deaf children can do anything hearing children can do. We owe it to every single one of them to make sure it’s provided as soon as possible.”