The Somerset Newborn Hearing Screening Programme aims to identify moderate, severe and profound deafness in newborn babies. One to two babies in every 1000 are born with a hearing loss in one or both ears.

The hearing screening test will allow those babies who do have a hearing loss to be identified early. This gives better life chances of developing speech and language skills.

About 1,700 babies are now screened every day as part of the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme.

Type of provision

Universal - This is for everyone, including people with special educational needs and disabilities