Valuing Audiology Report
Action on Hearing Loss has launched a report about NHS audiology services in England. The report is called Valuing Audiology – NHS hearing aid services in England.
The research into audiology services across the UK has found that 9 out of 10 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) do not hold a least of one the basic minimum pieces of information to fund their local audiology services. They do not hold information on the following:
• How much money they are spending on audiology
• The number of hearing aids they are fitting
• Whether people are getting the most out of their hearing aids
Without this information it can lead CCGs to make decisions about hearing aids where they do not have the information available thus leaving hearing aids exposed to cuts and rationing.
The report also looks into:
• Access rates (how many people with hearing loss are accessing audiology)
• Whether CCGs adhere to NICE guidelines (the guidelines which show how clinicians should be operating their services and treating patients)
• The future of technology within hearing aid services
