Kara Dilliway was three years old in October 2022 when she contracted a common ear infection.
As expected, she recovered quickly, but a few days after the infection cleared, her parents noticed she was having trouble hearing and speaking.
“We noticed she was just starting to say yes and no to things and that’s when we thought something was wrong,” said her mother, Sam Dilliway, of Basildon, Essex 41-year-old community caregiver. Doctors said she may have glue ear, a common childhood condition, and the fluid buildup had begun to cause hearing problems and required drainage.
Kara Dilliway, 4, has glue ear syndrome and has had hearing loss for more than a year
(played by Samantha DeLevi)
However, what was originally just a minor illness turned into a never-ending torment for the family. What started as a simple case of glue ear may now leave her with hearing loss for up to two years while she waits for regular treatment.
It comes after figures released in January showed more than 10 million people were still on the NHS waiting list for essential ear care services.
When Basildon Hospital referred Carla to private healthcare provider Omnes in December 2022, her mother was told the waiting time would be nine weeks.
Sam and Asa left ‘helpless’ after delays in daughter’s treatment
(played by Samantha DeLevi)
After speaking to staff at the company the following January, Ms Dillewe said she was told the hospital had made a mistake and the list would remain open for six months.
“I thought it was great because it was still shorter than the year-long wait on the NHS,” she told independent. “But when I called them in June 2023, they told me they had lost the referral.”
After some panic, Basildon Hospital sent Omnes a referral certificate and Carla had her first appointment with a consultant a few days later.
“She was told she also had problems with her tonsils and adenoids,” her mother explained. “They said she needed the grommets and she could have minor surgery before she starts kindergarten in September.”
However, when Ms Dilewe called Omnes in August, they again said there was no record of the referral. She reported the company to the Care Quality Commission on August 25, 2023, and her husband Asa lodged a complaint with local MP Stephen Metcalfe.
The CQC is unable to respond to individual cases independentBut he said: “When we receive worrying information or evidence that people are at risk, we follow up directly and we can use a range of powers if we find people are not receiving safe care.”
Carla was transferred back to the NHS and had another appointment in October. Ms Dilewe was told her daughter did need ear drainage and a hearing test confirmed she had hearing loss.
However, things were further complicated because she did not have a hearing test when she made her appointment with Omnes in June, meaning she would need to make another appointment in three months to confirm the impact of glue ear on her hearing.
Carla is a sociable girl who has become withdrawn due to untreated glue-ear hearing loss
(played by Samantha DeLevi)
“It is standard practice in line with NICE guidance that we have to do two hearing tests to confirm that the hearing loss is not temporary,” said Dr Anthony Aymat, consultant otolaryngology and head and neck surgeon at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
“However, we are seeing more and more children affected by these common conditions due to long waiting lists. Even though we are doing more and more outsourcing and insourcing, the NHS backlog is still growing. Waiting lists continue to grow Increase.”
Dr. Amat said the long-term effects on children can be severe if such conditions are not treated promptly. While glue ear is unlikely to leave permanent damage, there is always a small risk of permanent hearing loss. However, developmental effects are more likely and may be long-lasting.
Ms Dilewe said the impact on her daughter was obvious.
“It changed her personality. She was a very sociable, outgoing child, but she became withdrawn,” she said. “She used to openly initiate conversations with people, but now she can’t hear what they’re saying and people don’t insist when we ask them to talk, so she just looks at them and doesn’t speak.”
Cara has since seen a consultant who offered her a steroid nasal spray. Ms Dilewe said she had been put on a list for grommets and adenoid surgery and expected to wait about a year.
Dr Giles Thorpe, executive chief nursing officer at NHS Central and South Essex Integrated Care Board at Basildon Hospital, said: “Ensuring timely and effective care is vital and we will support a thorough investigation to understand Report the situation to help prevent similar experiences from occurring in the future.
“We urge families to come forward and contact the Mid and South Essex NHS Hospitals Trust Patient Advice and Liaison Service for support so any concerns can be investigated.”
An Omnes spokesperson said: “Omnes Healthcare is committed to providing and supporting timely, effective care for patients.
“Like other healthcare providers across the country, we have experienced a significant increase in the level of demand for our services. Unfortunately, the referral process sometimes does not work as well as it should.
“In recent months we have been working with our partners at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust to implement improvements to further improve service levels and ensure timely and effective provision for all patients. of care.”
