NCHA member update – 27 March
This week:
- All change for Amplifon
- Phonak wins AI award
- People still waiting too long for NHS audiology
- GN publishes real-world hearing aid pictures
- Consultation on reforming GMC legislation
- BAA announces new audiology leaders group
- Ear to the ground
- Health policy
Amplifon has agreed to buy GN Store Nord’s hearing business for €2.3 billion, in a strategic move that the retail group said would create a vertically integrated company by giving it a presence in the wholesale market.
The decision follows Amplifon’s announcement earlier in the month that it was withdrawing from the UK high street, selling its 100 stores to Demant’s Hidden Hearing. Read more in Clarity.
Phonak has won an AI excellence award for its Infinio hearing aids, which use dynamic programming to enhance speech clarity and reduce background noise. The company claims its technology adapts more precisely to its surroundings than other AI models because it is trained on 18 times more sound environments than previous generations. Read more in Clarity.
People still waiting too long for NHS audiology
The latest government figures show audiology assessments still lag behind government targets, with nearly 45% of patients waiting six weeks or more to be seen. Just over half of patients referred to ENT are treated within the 18-week target. Read more in Clarity.
GN publishes real-world hearing aid pictures
The company that makes ReSound hearing aids has launched a library of real-life images representing people living with hearing loss. The ‘New Norm’ photographs address a lack of representation or inaccurate portrayals of Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in public life.
GN’s Laurel Christensen said: “Media invisibility can negatively impact the mental health of people living with hearing loss and deter others from seeking help when they notice early signs of hearing loss.” Read more in Clarity.
Consultation on reforming GMC legislation
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a consultation on reforming the General Medical Council’s (GMC) legislative framework.
Michael Guthrie, the NCHA’s director of policy and regulation, comments: “This is the start of long-awaited reform of the legislation of the professional regulators, with the intention to modernise legislation so that the regulatory system is more responsive, flexible and resilient.”
The NCHA will respond to the consultation as this legislation is likely to establish the overall approach that will be followed in the future when the government consults on reform to the HCPC’s legislation.
The consultation closes on 23 June. We would welcome your views. Please send any feedback to [email protected]
BAA announces new audiology leaders group
The BAA has announced the formation of a new collaborative network, which will initially include the BSA, BSHAA and AIHHP. Read more in Clarity.
- The HCPC has published an unacceptable behaviour policy to protect staff when behaviour towards them threatens their wellbeing. Read more.
- The AHCS celebrates the work of healthcare scientists, including audiologists, in events throughout Healthcare Science Week.
- The BAA’s Service Quality Committee has updated its Guidance on Referral for MRI by Audiology, which provides practical advice for non-medical referral pathways.
- A research centre called Hearing Research International has launched in Toronto, Canada, to strengthen research leadership and inform systems and policy. Read more.
- Registration is open for a series of BAA professional development webinars that support members’ CPD.
- Eluned Morgan has welcomed the passing of the British Sign Language (Wales) Bill as “an important cultural moment for Wales and an historic moment for disability rights”. Read more.
- A social enterprise continues to change lives by training Deaf people in microelectronics for solar-powered hearing aids. Read more in Clarity.
- The RNID marked International Women’s Day by celebrating the women making a difference in hearing research.
- Tinnitus UK is seeking new trustees to join the board. They will help the organisation continue to support people living with tinnitus, fund research, and improve access to care.
- Researchers find that, contrary to popular belief, closing your eyes to focus on a sound may impair auditory detection. Read more.
The King’s Fund reports that public satisfaction with how the NHS is run rose significantly in 2025. However, it remains low, at 26%. This is the first time satisfaction has increased since 2019. There was no significant change in how satisfied people were with individual NHS services or how long they waited for care. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said the analysis of the British Social Attitudes Survey 2026 was proof that the NHS was now “on the road to recovery”. He added: “But there’s a lot of road ahead. My foot is pressing down on the accelerator, and I won’t stop until the job is done.”
Mr Streeting also announced he would place five underperforming NHS trusts in England in an “intensive recovery programme” from April, providing targeted support and possible leadership changes to improve patient care. These include North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Trust, and East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust. Read more.
A Healthwatch survey, meanwhile, found that nearly one in seven people had used private services, such as such as non-urgent treatment and diagnostic tests, in the past year, almost double the proportion in 2023. The research, which looked into people’s use of NHS and private services, cited long waiting lists for NHS care as the main motivation for going private. Read more in Clarity.