Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

The hearing care plan working group was established to develop recommendations for a holistic and sustainable model of hearing care across Ireland. The group initially had a focus on the appropriate linkage of public and private provision to meet increasing demand for services in the short term and to consider the recommendations of the WHO World Report on Hearing in the development of the national hearing care plan.

As the group carried out its work, it realised, through its research efforts and deliberations, that the scope of the work needed to create a holistic model of care, as mandated by the published terms of reference, was greater than initially anticipated. The group saw that as an opportunity to ensure that every aspect of the national audiology service was being addressed thoroughly and, as such, the deadline needed to be pushed back.

While it is unfortunate that the final recommendations are delayed, as per the terms of reference, the group, I believe, will now be in a position to deliver a much more comprehensive and encompassing plan that factors in all aspects of the audiology space and ensures that patients will receive a greater benefit as a result. In response, the group has adjusted its focus and timelines to ensure that all relevant areas of hearing care are appropriately considered. A structured work stream has been established to support this goal, comprising a number of subgroups focusing on key priorities within the overall scope of the project.

The areas being examined by the group include: the existing level and distribution of hearing care provision across Ireland; capacity constraints and opportunities for service enhancement within the HSE; examining the current education structures in place to ensure an adequate number of graduates in public audiology services; workforce planning, with a particular focus on improving recruitment and retention within the public system; the appropriate level and framework for regulation for the audiology profession; improvements to referral pathways in the integration of services between acute and community settings; and mechanisms to strengthen linkages between public and private hearing care aimed at improving patient outcomes and reducing waiting time.

It is wide-ranging work and it is the intention of the group to ensure the final report is comprehensive in the treatment of those matters.

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