The “distressing” experiences of dozens of children whose cochlear implants had been wrongly programmed could be occurring in audiology services around the country, a state health minister has warned.

Last week, the SA Government released its review into how the implants of at least 30 children treated at the Adelaide’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital failed to work properly, affecting their hearing for a significant period of their development.

“Parents [said] that they were made to feel that it was their fault that their child could not hear,” the review said, with many saying they were “fobbed off” when they raised concerns.

“The impact of the under-mapping, the late fitting and the poor management of families will be lifelong for many of these children and will likely impact on social, education and employment opportunities,” the review continued.