§ Mr. Archie NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of waiting times for audiology tests in NHS hospitals in(a) West Kent and (b) England.[109080]
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§ Jacqui SmithWe do not collect waiting times centrally for non-consultant led specialities such as audiology.
§ Jon TrickettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of waiting times for audiology tests in NHS hospitals in(a) the Hemsworth constituency and (b) England.[109875]
§ Jacqui SmithWe do not collect waiting times centrally for non-consultant led specialities such as audiology.
We know that demand for hearing aids rises when local services begin to provide digital hearing aids as part of a modernised hearing aid service, and this, combined with a recognised shortage of audiologists, can affect waiting times. The Royal National Institute for the Deaf project team and the Modernisation Agency Team are working with services as they modernise, to help them tackle increased demand and keep waiting lists as low as possible. We are introducing a new, more streamlined patient process in modernised sites, are looking at ways to increase the number of trained audiologists in the longer term and are exploring the role that the private sector can play in boosting national health service capacity and reducing waiting times.