Paediatric Cochlear Implant Program

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (14:22): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Is the minister taking action to address concerns relating to the paediatric Cochlear Implant Program of the Women's and Children's audiology department? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mrs HURN: The opposition has been contacted by audiologists speech pathologists and families who have raised serious concerns relating to the programming of cochlear implants provided to young children in the Women's and Children's Hospital. The opposition is also advised that this has been raised directly with the minister and the CEO of the Women's and Children's Hospital and the Premier's office.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:22): Absolutely, and there's been public notification of the fact that there is work underway in terms of reviewing the settings that were made of cochlear implants over a number of years—many years. I think, off the top of my head, we are going back through the last seven years to check those cochlear implants to make sure that those settings were right. That's the appropriate thing to do.

I have met some of the concerned audiologists, who want to make sure that work is done. We want to make sure that for each of those children and patients who had cochlear implants installed those settings are correct. The Women's and Children's Health Network have put out a public notification to that fact. They have contacted the families involved. They are going through the process of making sure that they are checking each and every one of those previous—many years—cases to make sure that those settings are right to take appropriate action if there are issues that are identified.