Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 239: To ask the Minister for Health the number of adults and children who are on community based audiology waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13145/12]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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The Health Service Executive has supplied the following information on the numbers of adults and children waiting for hearing tests and waiting to be fitted with hearing aids as at August 2011.

The HSE published the report of its National Audiology Review Group (NARG) in April 2011. The report contained a number of recommendations aimed at improving audiology services. The following recommendations which are being progressed will assist in reducing the waiting times for services:

The appointment of a National Clinical Lead which has recently been approved.

The planned integration of community and hospital services and the reconfiguration of the audiology workforce into fewer larger teams.

A unified career structure and increased staff numbers including 10 MSc in Audiology candidates whose education is being sponsored by the HSE and who should be ready to join the workforce in September 2013.

A standard system for the collation of audiology activity data which will commence this month.

The planned development of a national patient management system for audiology which will ensure easy access to patient data, facilitate the annual validation of waiting list activity and assist in the monitoring of local audiology productivity.

A national procurement process for hearing aids, hearing aid fitting systems and audiological assessment equipment due to be completed this month.