Change description : 2025-04-17 15:28:00: Updated process for booking staff onto their external competency assessment and removed screening helpdesk information. [Guidance and regulation]
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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
Updated process for booking staff onto their external competency assessment and removed screening helpdesk information.
29 May 2024
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.
9 April 2024
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.
30 September 2022
Updated link added for the IT system customer portal in chapter 8 (National IT system).
29 September 2021
Updated chapter 2. The separate ECA guidance appendix has been removed and information about the assessment is now described in chapter 2.
24 September 2021
Edited chapter 9.
22 September 2021
Updated the external competency assessment (ECA) registration and evidence checklist.
1 June 2021
Converted attachments to accessible format.
15 March 2021
Updated chapter 5 (equipment) to include guidance on testing arrangements for new equipment listed on the NHS Supply Chain.
14 December 2020
Added requirement to complete an additional e-learning resource to ECA registration and evidence checklist.
4 December 2020
Updated chapter 2 to show that the population screening e-learning module is now mandated for new screeners.
13 August 2020
Updated the NHSP ECA registration and evidence checklist.
1 May 2020
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.
6 November 2019
Updated 'Appendix: risk factor questionnaire'.
2 October 2019
Added contact details for Belmont Medical Technologies.
20 September 2019
Removed reference to using NHS Trends data in 'Appendix: local programme management tasks' as not currently available.
16 July 2019
Updated 'Chapter 6: Patient journey from screen to referral'.
20 June 2019
Updated 'Data and Reports' to include all reports, the new naming convention and movement of provider specific guidance to the national IT system resource.
4 June 2019
Updated Chapter 9 on audiology to change the reporting age of later identified hearing loss from 16 to 5 years old.
4 October 2018
Removed contacts database guide appendix which will now be hosted on the IT system resources.
6 September 2018
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.
26 July 2018
Clarification of the 3 scenarios for babies moving from well baby to NICU baby protocol.
29 May 2018
Updated information sheet for parents to reflect new General Data Protection Regulation.
26 January 2018
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'.
29 December 2017
Clarified the importance of the screener diploma in chapter 2.
12 December 2017
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’.
8 December 2017
Updated chapters 2 , 3 and 6.
23 November 2017
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.
29 March 2017
Updated Chapter 3 with the content from the appendix called 'risk-unfilled local manager post'. The appendix has therefore also been removed.
10 February 2017
Updated guidance on screening equipment, chapter 5.
14 November 2016
Updated the family history diagram in the appendix.