§ Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the(a) pay structure and (b) employment package for qualified audiologists; and if he will make a statement. [137854]
§ Mr. Hutton"Agenda for Change", the new pay system for national health service employees, including healthcare scientists working in the discipline of audiology, has been negotiated over the past four years by NHS staff and NHS employer representatives working in partnership. From 2003–04 to 2005–06 the package will give a 10 per cent. pay increase to all staff, plus an estimated 5.9 per cent. on average from the reform package in the longer run.
"Agenda for Change" is being tested in 12 'early implementer' sites with a view to implementing the new system nationally from October 2004.
§ Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many audiologists qualified in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [137857]
(2) how many people are being trained as audiologists. [137859]
§ Dr. LadymanThe information requested is not available centrally.
The Health Professions Council (HPC) holds information on the numbers of clinical scientists in audiology on its register, a prerequisite for employment in the United Kingdom. This information can be found on the HPC website at http://www.hpc-uk.org/about us/ facts figures cpsm registrants.htm.
§ Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how long it takes for an audiologist to become qualified. [137858]
§ Mr. HuttonThe length of time it takes to become a qualified audiologist depends upon an individual's entry qualifications and experience. The major education and training route into audiology, and associated with a defined scope of practice, will be the new four year BSc (Hons) vocational degree in audiology. Within this programme, there will be an opportunity for some non-audiology graduates to undertake a fast track two year education and training route leading to a graduate diploma.
Good honours graduates in relevant science subjects can still enter into the national health service as clinical scientist audiology trainees. They spend a period of up to four years in postgraduate education and training (incorporating an MSc degree and clinical training) before becoming registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC) as a clinical scientist in the modality of audiology.
§ Vera BairdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects digital hearing aids to be available to patients on the NHS in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland. [136464]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe James Cook University hospital, Middlesbrough, will be fitting digital hearing aids routinely as a part of a modernised hearing aid service by March 2004.