§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish the number of audiology technicians working in the National Health Service for each of the past five years;
(2) what evidence there is of a shortage of audiology technicians; and what representations he has received concerning a shortage.
§ Mr. Deakins:The number of qualified physiological measurement technicians—audiology—employed in the National Health Service in England has been as follows:
1973 391 1974 433 1975 399 1976 411 1977 451 Notes
(i) due to problems associated with reorganisation, the accuracy of the 1974 manpower figures is open to question.
456W(ii) all figures are expressed as whole time equivalents.
I have received no representations concerning a shortage of audiology technicians, but I understand that some health authorities experience difficulty from time to time in recruiting trained staff.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the centres which train audiology technicians; if he will give details of the type of course provided; and if he will state how many technicians who took part in pilot training schemes in physiological measurement later became audiology technicians.
§ Mr. Deakins:Regional health authorities are responsible for co-ordinating the action taken to organise courses of training solely for physiological measurement technicians—audiology. These courses are in addition to ordinary and higher national certificate courses which train physiological measurement technicians generally. A comprehensive list of centres which train physiological measurement technicians—audiology—separately is not held centrally, but the following centres in England are known to take students from other regions: Matthew Boulton technical college, Birmingham; North Riding infirmary, Middlesbrough; St. Mary Abbot's hospital, London; The Institute of Laryngology and Otology, London.
My Department has recommended an outline a training course which centres are expected to follow. Part A consists of theoretical and practical instruction in the following:theory of hearing and speech; medical aspects of hearing loss; principles involved in hearing aids; taking of aural impressions and the fitting and checking of aids. Part B consists of further theoretical and advanced practical instruction to those who will undertake higher grade duties as follows:
(i) Theoretical studies:
Anatomy and physiology; electricity; acoustics; rehabilitation methods.
(ii) Advanced practical training:
Speech audiometry; loudness balance test; masking; application of audiometry to children; auditory techniques; special techniques.
I regret that the answer to the third part of the Question is not readily available.
457W
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the number of technical colleges now offering Ordinary or Higher National Certificate courses in physiological measurement; and how many audiology technicians have emerged from such courses.
§ Mr. Deakins:In England there are 12 further education establishments offering Ordinary National Certificate courses in medical physics and physiological measurement and four offering the Higher National Certificate. It is not know how many physiological measurement technicians—audiology—have emerged from such courses. The courses are broad-based and those who obtain an ONC, for example, are qualified to work in any physiological measurement specialty.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received concerning the proposed scheme for training audiology technicians under the aegis of the Technician Education Council; and whether his Department's advisory committee on services to hearing for impaired persons has reported its views on the proposed Technician Education Council scheme for training audiology technicians.
§ Mr. Deakins:None. A sub-committee of the Advisory Committee on Services for Hearing Impaired People is at present considering the training and qualifications of physiological measurement technicians—audiology—and I expect to receive its report next year.