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Guidance

Newborn hearing screening programme (NHSP) operational guidance

This guidance supports healthcare professionals and stakeholders delivering and managing newborn hearing screening programmes in England.

Updates to this page

From:
NHS England
Published:
1 November 2016
Last updated:
25 February 2026
Show all updates

  1. Update focusing on improving clarity, compliance, and safeguarding, while reinforcing national standards and quality assurance. Improved guidance clarity in response to frequently asked questions including detailed guidance on AOAE and AABR testing, limits on repeat attempts, and when outpatient appointments should be offered. Updated links. Removal of content which is duplicated elsewhere. New guidance on managing records for adopted babies.

  2. Updated process for booking staff onto their external competency assessment and removed screening helpdesk information.

  3. Added clarification that publication was previously published by Public Health England.

  4. Chapter 9 – Audiology has been updated to reflect changes following the programmes move to NHSE, including other minor additions to the guide for local services. Appendix: NHSP Local service management tasks guidance updated to reflect changes following the programmes move to NHSE, including other minor additions to the guide for local service.

  5. Updated chapter 2 and the NHSP external competency assessment (ECA) registration and evidence checklist appendix, to reflect minor changes, including new email contact and the programmes move to NHSE.

  6. Updated link added for the IT system customer portal in chapter 8 (National IT system).

  7. Updated chapter 2. The separate ECA guidance appendix has been removed and information about the assessment is now described in chapter 2.

  8. Edited chapter 9.

  9. Updated the external competency assessment (ECA) registration and evidence checklist.

  10. Converted attachments to accessible format.

  11. Updated chapter 5 (equipment) to include guidance on testing arrangements for new equipment listed on the NHS Supply Chain.

  12. Added requirement to complete an additional e-learning resource to ECA registration and evidence checklist.

  13. Updated chapter 2 to show that the population screening e-learning module is now mandated for new screeners.

  14. Updated the NHSP ECA registration and evidence checklist.

  15. Updated Education and training chapter, added new appendices: 'External Competency Assessment (ECA) guidelines' and 'ECA registration and evidence checklist' and added change in timescales for new screeners to be registered with a health screener diploma (HSD) approved centre.

  16. Updated 'Appendix: risk factor questionnaire'.

  17. Added contact details for Belmont Medical Technologies.

  18. Removed reference to using NHS Trends data in 'Appendix: local programme management tasks' as not currently available.

  19. Updated 'Chapter 6: Patient journey from screen to referral'.

  20. Updated 'Data and Reports' to include all reports, the new naming convention and movement of provider specific guidance to the national IT system resource.

  21. Updated Chapter 9 on audiology to change the reporting age of later identified hearing loss from 16 to 5 years old.

  22. Removed contacts database guide appendix which will now be hosted on the IT system resources.

  23. Changes to Chapter 8 – national IT system, including S4H and the customer portal, plus clarification around birth registrations and newborn screening SMaRT IT systems. Updated version of Appendix: Interactions between English and Welsh hearing screening programmes.

  24. Clarification of the 3 scenarios for babies moving from well baby to NICU baby protocol.

  25. Updated information sheet for parents to reflect new General Data Protection Regulation.

  26. Minor change to chapter 6 'patient journey from screen to referral' and section 8.3 NICU protocol. Added missing hyperlinks to chapter 2 'education and training'.

  27. Clarified the importance of the screener diploma in chapter 2.

  28. Made minor changes to chapter 6 ‘Patient journey from screen to referral’ section 8 (screening test) for clarity. Added guidance from the NHSP pages of https://cpdscreening.phe.org.uk to chapter 2 ‘Education and training’ and chapter 3 ‘Roles and responsibilities’.

  29. Updated chapters 2 , 3 and 6.

  30. Updated chapter 2: guidance for newborn hearing screeners competency assessments and the diploma for health screeners qualification. Reviewed chapter 5: added specific information for screening equipment and more detail on completing quality assurance (QA) checks prior to use. Added 'Appendix: equipment log sheet'. Updated 'Appendix: local programme management tasks: QA checks moved from monthly to weekly.

  31. Updated Chapter 3 with the content from the appendix called 'risk-unfilled local manager post'. The appendix has therefore also been removed.

  32. Updated guidance on screening equipment, chapter 5.

  33. Updated the family history diagram in the appendix.

  34. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

1. Introduction and contacts

HTML

2. Education and training

HTML

3. Roles and responsibilities

HTML

4. Clinical governance

HTML

5. Equipment

HTML

6. Patient journey from screen to referral

HTML

7. Data and reports

HTML

8. National IT system

HTML

9. Audiology

HTML

10. Aetiology

HTML

NHSP: aetiology consent form

MS Word Document, 23.9 KB

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NHSP: ascertaining family history of hearing loss

ODT, 122 KB

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NHSP: e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH) guidance

HTML

NHSP: equipment log sheets

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/newborn-hearing-screening-equipment-log-sheets

NHSP external competency assessment (ECA) registration and evidence checklist

ODT, 14.6 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

NHSP: family history flow diagram

PDF, 47.5 KB, 1 page

NHSP: health screener diploma assessment criteria and observation checklists

ODT, 211 KB

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NHSP: information for parents

HTML

NHSP: interactions between English and Welsh hearing screening programmes

HTML

NHSP Local Services Management Tasks appendix

HTML

NHSP: mentorship guidance

HTML

NHSP: national reports summary table

PDF, 93.1 KB, 2 pages

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NHSP: parent satisfaction survey

ODT, 7.84 KB

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NHSP: risk factor questionnaire

ODT, 13 KB

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Details

The NHSP operational guidance provides clinical guidance and other documents to support the delivery of a high-quality screening programme.

This guidance is relevant to all screening programme staff and healthcare professionals involved at any point in the NHSP screening pathway.

This information puts into context the day-to-day working of the local screening programme and includes information about:

  • introductions and key contacts
  • roles, responsibilities and relationships of key NHSP staff and associated professionals
  • initial training and continued professional development including competencies for hearing screening staff
  • governance and performance responsibilities including programme standards, key performance indicators, and managing risks and incidents
  • aetiology input to NHSP and beyond
  • hearing screening equipment specifications and protocols
  • audiology input to NHSP and beyond
  • day to day management of a local NHSP patient pathway
  • the NHSP national IT system
  • reporting local programme performance

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