Compensations rise as the number of children affected by cochlear implant failure in South Australia rises to 141

Two more victims of the multi-million-dollar cochlear implant debacle have been identified as SA health authorities say some recommendations made last year are yet to be implemented.

An audit was called to investigate the issue in May 2022 after SA Health reported that young patients at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital had been fitted with incorrectly programmed cochlear implants.

The pediatric cochlear implant program has been running in the state since 2006.

Children affected by this disease were unable to hear sounds that were crucial for their development, including learning to speak and listen.

Close-up of an ear surrounded by short hair. — Over 100 families received compensation for the programming error. (ABC News: Briana Fiore)

This week, the South Australian Department of Health released an update to the review and said more than $2.8 million had since been paid to those affected, with 47 families receiving the maximum ex gratia amount of $50,000 and 94 receiving $5000.

An additional 23 compensation claims have been submitted and have not yet been finalized.

“It’s a tragedy”

One of the children affected by the batch was Logan Smedley, whose family spoke to the ABC last year and described the experience as “stressful”.

“We believe that as a result of the hospital not providing Logan with cochlear implants for approximately four years, his hearing and speech are severely delayed,” his father said at the time.

Department of Health chief executive Robyn Lawrence said children would need to be monitored in the future to determine the full impact on their development.

“This is a tragedy and I sincerely apologize to all the families and children affected by this situation,” she said.

“I thank them for their patience and commitment, and I thank the many of them who have supported the Women’s and Children’s Health Service to ensure that further processes meet the needs of families and children in the future.”

In the center stands a woman with curly hair, wearing a black sweater and a white shirt, leaning against a window overlooking the city. — Dr. Robyn Lawrence says affected children will need to be monitored to determine the full impact. (ABC News: Briana Fiore)

The 2023 review of this failure resulted in 59 recommendations, of which six have not yet been implemented.

In response to the issue, SA Health said it has hired additional staff, including two audiologists, two speech therapists, a social worker and an existing specialist to support communication with patients and external providers.

Staff training and supervision has also been increased, including mentoring from interstate specialists, to prevent similar mistakes in the future.