01 March 2024

NCHA member update – 1 March

This week:

• Primary Care Audiology - accessible ear and hearing care for all  
• Call to stop taxing hearing aids
• Logo gets a refresh
• Hearing aid sales continue recovery
• HCPC warns of scam calls
• Other sector news
• Health policy news

Primary Care Audiology - accessible ear and hearing care for all

The NCHA is marking World Hearing Day 2024 by launching a new strategy, supporting this year's theme of 'Changing Mindsets: making ear and hearing care a reality for all'.

In Primary Care Audiology, we set out the case for change and a vision for ear and hearing care that meets the population's audiological needs and takes pressure off GPs and ENT departments.

Thank you to all members who volunteered to take part in co-producing this vision for the future of primary care audiology.

If you have any questions or would like to be involved in any workstream, please email [email protected].

Call to stop taxing hearing aids

As a member of the Hearing Loss and Deafness Alliance, we fully back its call to stop taxing hearing aids.

We are calling on the Government to make hearing aids zero-rated for VAT, recognising them as essential items for people living with hearing loss.

Hearing aids are currently taxed at 20% VAT, a tax that pre-dates modern disability discrimination in the UK.

The NCHA has submitted the evidence to support the case for change. We have also started to discuss this unfair tax on hearing aids with MPs.

If you would like to support our work to stop taxing hearing aids, please contact us.

Logo gets a refresh

The NCHA has refreshed its logo with a new strapline in response to a review of our brand and feedback from members.

Thank you to all those who got in touch. You told us that our brand should highlight our members' work in primary care audiology and how we support them. 

Hearing aid sales continue recovery

Sales of hearing aids fell by 12% in the fourth quarter but grew overall in 2023, the British Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA) reports.
 
Fourth-quarter data for 2023 showed private sales dipped slightly, by 3%, while sales to the NHS dropped 14% on the previous quarter, after a cross-sector spike in the third quarter. Overall, the year ended well, continuing the post-pandemic recovery with a 9% increase in hearing aid sales in 2023 compared with the previous year.

HCPC warns of scam calls

The HCPC has urged members to beware of a phishing scam. While there have been no reported data breaches, a few registrants have received automated calls asking them to call a number regarding supposed investigations. Read the HCPC's advice about how to protect yourself from fraud.

Other sector news

• The RNID has published a report, In Their Own Words, with insights from hearing aid users. The report recognises that millions of adults in the UK cannot access the hearing care they need.
• The British Academy of Audiology has launched an interactive Quality Improvement Toolkit to help members with service improvement.
• The Make Listening Safe Campaign has launched a petition calling for the Government to regulate the sale of headphones.
• The assistant manager of Farsley Celtic Deaf FC talks about discrimination on the pitch, the BBC reports.

Health policy news

Pharmacy First
 
Queues have formed outside chemists after the launch of Pharmacy First due to confusion about who is eligible for antibiotics under the scheme, inews reports.
 
The Government launched the scheme earlier this month. Its aim was to improve access to primary care and relieve pressure on GPs by allowing pharmacists to treat seven common conditions, including ear infections.
 
However, some initial messaging about the scheme was unclear about age ranges. As a result, adults with ear pain have been turned away after visiting their local chemist, unaware that only children can be treated for ear infections.
 
The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said earlier this month that the scheme would make it "quicker, easier, and more convenient for people to access NHS care for seven common conditions locally ... This bold new approach will free up to 10 million GP appointments per year, helping to cut waiting lists and deliver our long-term plan for the NHS". 
 
The full information about conditions and age ranges is available on the NHS England website.
 
The NCHA supports all efforts to take pressure off GPs by offering more care closer to home, as outlined in Primary Care Audiology: accessible ear and hearing care for all.