Evidence submitted by Liza Smeeton, Barnsley
Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (AUDIO 9)
I am writing in response to you request for
information about audiology services. I am Head of Audiology at
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Whether accurate data on waiting times for audiology
services are available?
1. I feel that data, when mentioned in the
press is averaged out across the country which paints a black
picture for departments like mine where we have low waiting times.
My waits are 6-8 weeks for all new referrals and a further 6-8
weeks for fitting of a hearing aid. Waits vary, even across regions
and between neighbouring Trust's.
Why audiology services appear to lag behind other
specialities in respect of waiting times and access and how this
can be addresses?
2. I agree that this is an issue in many
areas. I feel that access can be improved through audiology being
part of direct access and Choose & Book. I also strongly believe
that referral pathways need tightening so that patients who simply
need a hearing aid do not end up being referred to ENT, where
they clog up their clinics, but are always referred directly to
audiology. Under MHAS and Action on ENT a lot of good work into
these areas was done. When these initiatives stopped so did the
improvements.
Whether the NHS has the capacity to treat the
numbers of patients waiting?
3. We need to look at our processes to increase
capacity and use lower bands of staff to do certain parts of the
patient journey, eg repairs and simple adjustments of aids. In
Barnsley we continually look at our appointment lengths to see
if they can be reduced to create additional capacity. Reducing
steps for the patients can also lead to a more efficient service.
Whether enough new audiologists are being trained?
4. Yes, but I wonder if, with the changes
under Agenda for Change, we need to be training staff at a Band
4 level and increasing this element of our workforce. That is
the plan for my department as staff leave. Having a changed skill
mix, as nurses do, would provide a more effective and cost-competitive
workforce.
How great a role the private sector should play
in providing audiology services?
5. The "hidden" wait in all audiology
departments are the number of patients currently on the older
type analogue hearing aids who are waiting to be changed over
to digital aids. My department is no exception. The private sector
could, under a model similar to the PPP model used under MHAS,
be the solution to this. Once we are over this "hump"
I feel in most areas there would be sufficient staff to provide
a quality service.
I hope this information is of use. I look forward
to hearing the outcome of this enquiry.
Liza Smeeton
Head of Audiology, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation
Trust
1 February 2007
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