North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has again highlighted the need for a fully-fledged primary care audiology service in Wales.
Speaking in yesterday’s Short Debate on ‘Primary care and the Preventative Agenda', Mr Isherwood, who has previously called for the Welsh Government to let the optical industry help NHS Wales improve access to NHS hearing loss services, stressed again that because of the demand for audiology services, patients in Wales are facing substantial delays, and that the provision of high-quality and timely treatment in the community would help resolve this issue.
He said:
“Independent Primary Care providers are commissioned by every NHS Health Board in Wales to provide specialist eye health services in the community, but adult hearing loss services in Wales are provided exclusively by NHS Health Boards.
“In common with other developed nations, Wales has a large and growing population of adults with age-related hearing loss.
“There is considerable evidence that community audiology is highly cost effective and can be safely delivered by independent providers, supported by the service delivery models operating in England and Republic of Ireland.
“Although the Welsh model of primary care audiology improves accessibility, patients continue to face substantial delays, and a fully-fledged primary care audiology service in Wales is needed, providing high-quality and timely treatment in the community, including wax management, delivered by independent primary care providers commissioned by NHS Wales.
“This would help to prevent a myriad of further health complications at Primary Care level as an integral part of a preventative agenda.”