NHS Wales hearing care: future approach to audiology services (WHC/2025/024)

Status:

Action.

Category:

Performance and Delivery, Information Technology, Science, Research, Planning, Policy

Title:

NHS Wales hearing care: Future Approach for Audiology Services

Date of expiry or review:

Not applicable

For action by:

• Chief executives, health boards or trusts
• Medical directors, health boards or trusts.
• Research and development directors and leads, health boards or trusts
• Directors of primary care, health boards or trusts
• NHS health boards and trusts, and primary care providers
• Nurse executive directors, health boards or trusts
• Directors of therapies and health sciences, health boards or trusts
• Directors of planning, health boards or trusts.
• Directors of primary care, health boards or trusts
• Directors of public health, health boards or trusts
• Directors of workforce and organisational development, health boards or trusts
• Directors of finance, health boards and trusts
• General practitioners

Sender:

Sarah O’Sullivan-Adams, Head of Optometry and Audiology Policy, Welsh Government

Welsh Government Contacts:

Sarah.OSullivan-Adams@gov.wales

Dear colleagues

Since the closure of the Framework of Action (WHC 2018-006) policy officials have been working with stakeholders across Wales to develop a national approach for audiology and now present the agreed Future Approach for Audiology Services.

This is the first step in our journey of reform to meet the policy commitment for audiology. Reform is a huge change in service delivery, widely accepted, to put services on a stable footing and provide assurance that delivery will be equitable, consistent and sustainable across NHS Wales. Welsh Government will continue conversations with stakeholders and seek assurance via Wales Audiology Board to ensure audiology services receive adequate resource, investing for profit, where the profit is a skilled workforce and better access, experience and outcomes for people requiring hearing care.

Following endorsement by the Welsh Government Policy Forum, NHS Wales Leadership Board, and NHS Wales Executive Department Team, the Wales Audiology Board will steer action to progress the aims in line with governance arrangements for reporting, monitoring and assurance of delivery and expenditure to provide the Cabinet Secretary and health boards’ Chief Executives with annual progress reports.

Policy officials will continue to oversee all work streams, via Wales Audiology Board, to help ensure national join up across primary, community and secondary care.  Through the work of the Planned Care Programme Clinical Information Network, NHS Wales will continue to monitor hospital ENT services, seizing opportunities presented in the Future Approach for Audiology to transform services and pathways.  This collaborative approach will ensure sustainable services models for the future.

This policy direction to reform and develop innovative new audiology service models will further enhance Wales as a leader in audiology service provision, where the other UK nations continue to follow our lead.

The demographic changes across the western world are well known; there are more people, and those people are living longer. The effect of these population changes on audiology services in the UK is acknowledged, there are more hearing problems in an ageing population requiring long term care. In addition a recent Lancet report on Risk factors for dementia identifies hearing loss as the biggest modifiable risk factor for dementia. It is also the leading cause of years lived with disability for those over 70. These conditions are associated with ageing and the demand for these services is increasing for health with the subsequent costs for ongoing social care.

Our future approach is reflective of the way we live, to meet our lifestyles and expectations.  The ambition is to design and deliver services around the needs of service users and the preferences of our citizens with a much greater emphasis on keeping people healthy and well to improve life chances - everyone reaching their full educational, employment and social potential.  This fully encompasses the aims of A Healthier Wales, and the Well Being of Future Generations Act.