On November 5th, 2010, The Irish Medical Times published a very significant piece, “Review Set To Tackle Audiology Waiting Lists“.
IDK is delighted to see the NAR taking these steps in very difficult economic conditions. DeafHear (formerly the NAD) also deserves commendation for its sustained campaign toward universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS).
According to the IMT piece:
” …the HSE South and HSE West regions previously failed to recruit key staff for several years owing to both an international shortage of audiologists and the public service moratorium on recruitment. It is understood they have now been granted permission to fill vacancies after seeking a derogation. “
About 1,304 children in Cork have waited up to a year to have hearing tests for hearing-aid fittings, with more than 1,000 in Galway waiting over a year.
The HSE South & HSE West regions now appear to have permission to hire audiologists, with some hospitals in Cork, Kerry & Waterford also preparing to pilot UNHS by January 2011.
Elsewhere in the audiology sector, Beaumont Hospital is looking to hire a senior audiological scientist, while the Irish Society of Audiology is to seek professional body status from the Department of Health. IDK hopes to see continued improvement in audiology training and services in Ireland.
Further Reading
- Newborn Hearing Tests Support Early Intervention
- Hearing-Aids + Learning = Education
- Schools ‘Must Change Their Attitude To Disability’
