Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has been made on implementing the NHS Long Term Plan commitment to ensure that children with learning disabilities (a) have their needs met by eyesight, hearing and dental services, (b) are included in reviews as part of general screening services and (c) are supported by accessible ongoing care.

The NHS Long Term Plan made a commitment that autistic children and young people, and those with a learning disability, or both in special residential schools should have access to dental, sight and hearing checks. In order to progress this commitment, NHS England has commenced individual proof-of-concept programmes covering the three sensory checks since 2021. These seek to pilot and evaluate a sight, hearing and oral health service model in special residential schools in England.

The outcomes from the specific proof-of-concept programmes are being collated for each of the sensory workstreams. The findings will inform decisions about the scope, funding and delivery of any commissioning planning for future sensory check delivery for children and young people in special residential schools.

As part of these programmes more than 690 children and young people have received a hearing check, over 70 children received an oral health check and over 10,900 children and young people have received an eye test.