Moderate hearing loss in 12-year-old missed in tests

A 12-YEAR-OLD with moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears was among 16 children whose impairment was not picked up by a clinician working in audiology services in the Health Service Executive (HSE) South.

A second 12-year-old with mild hearing loss in both ears also went undiagnosed, as well as a 16-year-old with mild to moderate hearing loss.

The remainder of the children, aged two, four, five, six, eight and nine, made up the 20 patients who went undiagnosed by an audiological scientist, who worked in community-based audiology services in Cork city and county between September 2001 and December 2007. The scientist also worked in Limerick briefly in 2002 and 2003, as well as in Tralee during 2005 and 2006.