The number of children failed by NHS Lothian over nearly a decade is staggering.
A total of 155 youngsters were found to have been badly let down by the health board’s audiology service.
That means several profoundly deaf children were diagnosed too late for vital implant surgery.
The delay will likely have dire consequences for the speech and language development of those involved.
An independent report found the average age of diagnosis of hearing loss at NHS Lothian between 2009 and 2018 was four-and-a-half years.
But in England the average age of diagnosis was just 109 days.
Humza Yousaf yesterday apologised to the families involved but parents will justifiably be angry.
The Health Secretary wasn’t in office when these failings happened but it’s on him to ensure these mistakes are not repeated again.
External scrutiny of hospital departments is vital to ensure standards are being met across the country.
Yet in this case staff were left to deviate from nationally agreed guidelines.
The Record has reported on a series of failures across several health boards in recent years.
But accountability for mistakes remains elusive.
The NHS will apologise when it gets things wrong but changes in leadership as a result are rare.
It’s taken years for the scandal at NHS Lothian to come to light.
Many of those involved will already have retired or taken other jobs.
And yet dozens of kids will be left with the impact of the health board’s failings for the rest of their lives.
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