Monday 25 August marked two years since the publication of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland (IRASS), which identified “multiple systemic problems” in the provision of hearing services across the NHS in Scotland – but we’re still waiting to see them resolved.
A long wait
The Scottish Government accepted all 55 of the Review’s recommendations and committed to improve audiology services for people who are deaf or have hearing loss. Two years on, progress has been too slow.
Many of those recommendations remain undelivered. Children and adults across Scotland continue to face long waits, inconsistent care, and a lack of support that can have lasting consequences.
Calling for action
RNID has joined forces with the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE), and the British Academy of Audiology (BAA) to urge the Scottish Government to take the next steps.
Together, we’ve written to Jenni Minto MSP, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, asking the Scottish Government to equip audiology services with the resources, workforce, and leadership necessary to deliver these improvements. We’re calling for urgent action in three key areas:
- Introducing independent safety checks for audiology services and to review their performance.
- Clear workforce planning.
- Routine and transparent reporting of audiology waiting times with clear targets for improvement.