Paediatric Cochlear Implant Program

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (14:23): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Were there any delays between the Women's and Children's Hospital network audiology department being advised of these issues in relation to the paediatric Cochlear Implant Program and clients and families being notified and, if so, why did these delays take place? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mrs HURN: The opposition has been advised that the Women's and Children's Hospital network audiology was initially advised of cochlear implant programming concerns by Little Allied Health via phone in March 2022 when these issues were identified but that a letter was only sent to some families in September 2022, some six months later.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:24): As I said, we have been working with the audiologists and it is that particular organisation that has raised a number of those concerns. I will have to check the time line in which the health network was first made contact with by that organisation. But certainly they have, as I have been advised, been contacted in relation to undertaking these checks. I am advised that these checks have been undertaken for a number of months.

I met with Little Allied Health recently and heard an update from the Women's and Children's Health Network and the concerns of Little Allied Health. I want to make sure that every single one of those patients is contacted and the advice I have is that that has occurred.