§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether his Department makes recommendations to health authorities on the number of audiological technicians that are desirable per 1,000 of the catchment population;
(2) how many audiological technicians there were in the National Health Service in each of the last five years; if he will estimate the level of any current shortfall; and how many additional technician posts have been created in the National Health Service in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergFollowing are the mumbers of audiology technicians—including students—employed in the National Health Service in England in the five years up to 1980, the latest year for which information is available.
27W
Year Numbers in whole time equivalents 1976 589.7 1977 590.6 1978 623.1 1979 630.1 1980 729.7 These figures reflect the extent to which new posts have been created. The provision of audiology services is the responsibility of individual health authorities who decide, in the light of local need, the numbers of technicians and students to be employed.
The Department has not recommended the scale on which posts should be created. I have no evidence to suggest that health authorities generally have difficulty in recruiting audiology technicians.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the shortage of people undertaking training as audiological technicians that was recently reported to the West Midlands regional health authority applies nationally; if so, what action he is taking to alleviate the shortage; and if he will make a statement on the training facilities for audiological technicians.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergI have no evidence to suggest that there is a general shortage of student audiology technicians, although there are no doubt difficulties in some localities. The organisation of audiology services, including the creation of student technician posts and recruitment to them, is the responsibility of individual health authorities. It is for them to monitor local needs and to take the necessary steps to improve services. Following a report of the Advisory Committee on Services for Hearing Impaired People published in 1979, new qualifications for entry into the grade were introduced matched by changes in arrangements for academic and practical training. Courses have been and are being developed in colleges of further education and the Department is financing the preparation and issue shortly of a training manual to aid practical teaching.