Community Care Across the Nations: Holyrood to Senedd
It’s been a busy month on the road — with conversations at both Holyrood and the Senedd focused on how access to hearing care can be improved by easing pressure on traditional hospital audiology and making better use of the skilled professionals already working in our communities.
Our Clinical Lead, Michael, attended roundtable events at both Holyrood and the Senedd as part of his work with BSHAA, contributing to wider professional discussions around access and service design. The sessions brought together clinicians, sector leaders and professional bodies to explore a shared challenge across the UK: ensuring people can access hearing care when and where they need it.
The Challenge: Uneven Access Across Nations
Across Scotland and Wales, many people still face long waits for hospital-based audiology appointments. In some areas of Scotland, adults are waiting up to 90 weeks for an initial hearing assessment — and in certain regions, more than 200 weeks for follow‑up care, according to publicly available waiting‑time data.
In Wales, waiting times for hospital audiology have doubled in the last five years, based on publicly available NHS board data.
Behind every statistic is a real person trying to stay connected to family, work and community.
In our clinic, we often hear the same story:
“I’ve waited years… I wish I’d done something sooner.”
It’s a reminder of how profoundly hearing loss affects confidence, communication and quality of life — and how transformative timely care can be.
These national conversations reflect what we hear every day in our own clinic — people want timely, local care delivered by professionals they trust.
What We Heard at Holyrood and the Senedd
Despite taking place in different nations, both roundtables centred on similar themes:
- Rising Demand for Hearing Care
- Stretched Hospital Capacity
- The Impact of Geography on Access
- The Importance of Aftercare
- The Need for Sustainable, Community‑Based Pathways
There was a shared recognition that hearing care works best when it is local, timely and supported by ongoing follow‑up.
The Opportunity: Community Audiology Already Delivering Care
A key point raised in both nations was the role of community audiology — delivered by HCPC‑registered, professionally regulated clinicians working in local clinics across the UK.
Community audiology already provides:
- Full Diagnostic Hearing Assessments
- Hearing Aid Fittings
- Rehabilitation Support
- Ongoing Aftercare
- Continuity of Care Close to Home
These services reduce travel burdens, shorten waiting times and help people stay connected to their families, work and communities.
Some regions are already exploring new models that bring care closer to home — from redesigned referral pathways to community-first approaches. While these developments vary across nations, the direction of travel is clear: care works best when it is accessible, local and sustainable.
Why Aftercare Matters
Aftercare was a strong theme in both discussions. Hearing aids are most effective when people receive support to adjust, build confidence and understand how to get the best from their technology.
Without aftercare, hearing aids often end up unused — not because they don’t work, but because people haven’t had the help they need to use them well.
Community audiology is uniquely positioned to provide this ongoing support.
Technology and Attitudes Are Changing
Another shared theme was stigma. Many people still delay seeking help because they worry about how hearing aids will look or what others might think.
But attitudes are shifting. Hearing technology has advanced dramatically in the last decade, and more people — including public figures, athletes and clinicians themselves — now wear hearing aids openly and confidently.
As technology evolves, our models of care must evolve with it.
Looking Ahead
The conversations at Holyrood and the Senedd were not about politics. They were about people — and about how we can work together across sectors to ensure that hearing care is accessible, timely and sustainable.
Community-based audiology is not a replacement for hospital services. It is a way of strengthening the system, reducing pressure and ensuring that no one waits years for support that could change their life.
Across the nations, the message was clear:
Hearing care should be available when and where it’s needed most.
The workforce already exists — regulated, qualified and embedded in communities.
The challenge now is building pathways that use it well.
We’re proud to be part of those conversations and to support patients locally every day.