03 July 2025

10-Year Health Plan for England to prioritise self-referral for audiology

The NCHA, the association for primary care audiology providers, has welcomed the government's 10-Year NHS Plan and the Prime Minister's speech heralding a "fundamental rewiring" of the health system.

The vision of bringing services closer to home aligns with the NCHA's longstanding goals. The plan outlines three key shifts in NHS design:

• Analogue to digital
• Treatment to prevention
• Hospital to community

In the plan, the government commits to "broaden the eco-system of providers" and confirms that the use of independent sector providers will not be restricted solely to elective care. It goes on to promise patients more choice and control over their care, allowing them to see a professional sooner and closer to home.

One key pillar of this promise is "direct access, more convenience", with the announcement that the My Specialist tool will empower patients to self-refer to specialist services where appropriate. This will include allowing patients to self-refer to audiology from the outset.

The government also commits to restoring the 18-week constitutional standard, which will mean having to transform ear and hearing care if it is to tackle the growing ENT waiting time crisis.

David Hewlett, NCHA Director, said: 

"The government's plan rightly sets out a vision for transforming NHS outpatient services by delivering more care in the community and giving patients, as Wes Streeting has said "ease and convenience and choice and control".  In hearing care, NHS patients have been denied these options for far too long and been trapped in long waits for outdated hospital systems.

"We therefore fully support the government empowering more audiology patients to self-refer. In doing so, this will expand access to NHS primary care audiology and reduce the inequalities in access between people with the ability to pay and those who depend on the NHS. 

"With hospital and ENT services under pressure, as need grows, the Plan offers genuine hope for restoring the 18-week constitutional standard for hospital consultant-led care, whilst offering alternatives for the 95% of adults who can be treated at more convenient times in community practices near their homes or place of work. Most adults with hearing loss do not need hospital-based services and can be safely and effectively supported in the community. 

"Primary care audiology is already commissioned in a third of ICS areas - so the scope for transformation in all ICS areas is readily available for all NHS patients.

"We look forward to working with NHS leaders to deliver care that is local, digital and prevention-focused - and to ensure that adults with hearing loss are no longer bounced pillar to post as Wes Streeting has rightly said too many patients currently experience." 

The government's plans align fully with the NCHA's strategic priorities, 2024 PCA and we will put resource around helping the NHS transform ear and hearing care on behalf of patients across England.