The purpose of the National Policy and Quality Standards is to document the operational policy and quality standards of practice for providers of services within the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Early Intervention Programme (UNHSEIP).

These National Policy and Quality Standards (January 2009) form part of the contract between the Ministry of Health and DHBs, for the provision of newborn hearing screening services. It is acknowledged that the UNHSEIP is in the early stages of implementation and it is important to note that some aspects of the Programme are still under development. Throughout the Programme implementation period, the National Screening Unit will be working with DHBs to make sure that policies and standards are practical and achievable. Ongoing monitoring processes, feedback from providers and international best practice will inform the further development of this document, which will be reviewed once the Programme is fully implemented.