UK professional bodies: BAA Update September 2024

BAA Position Statement

In late August BAA released a position statement on The Future of NHS Adult Hearing Loss Management. In the statement, BAA make it clear that the Board believe audiology services must be free at the point of access for everyone who needs it, and where possible, this is best provided by existing NHS services who have the infrastructure, governance and joined up pathways to do this most safely and effectively. While BAA recognises the important role the private sector plays in hearing care provision in the UK, through offering a broader choice of hearing aid styles and features than typically available via the NHS, as well as offering alternative services, such as custom hearing protection, that are not ordinarily NHS funded, BAA Board ultimately believes the NHS is best placed to offer evidence-based assessment and management, scientific leadership, integrated pathways and provide hearing healthcare across the lifespan, that is free at the point of delivery. This issue of Audiology News UK features an interview with the BAA President and Vice President on this subject.

BAA Board Nominations

BAA Board consists of 14 elected directors, who all serve three-year terms of office. They can serve no more than two terms on the BAA Board. Therefore each year, we have a requirement to put a call out for new nomination to join board. This year there are three vacancies coming up in November, therefore BAA are asking members to stand for election by completing the nomination form by 7th October. This will then go to a member vote with the top three joining BAA Board this year. All details are on BAA website.

BAA Conference

Registration is open for the British Academy of Audiology Annual Conference 2024. The conference, taking place in Telford on 21-22 November 2024, will feature a mix of keynote presentations, invited speakers, and free paper presentations chosen from your abstracts. Our conference programme is designed to ensure that you leave the event with insights that will help shape and inform your approach to clinical practice, research, and teaching. You can see the confirmed programme online, now on the conference pages of the BAA website. We’re excited to be featuring some fantastic keynote speakers including:

Dr. Brent Edwards Director of the National Acoustic Laboratories, Australia, who will talk about Revolutionising Audiological Care Through Innovation in Clinical Tools and Treatment Strategies. Rebecca Bennett, Senior Research Audiologist at the National Acoustic Laboratories will speak about Managing the social and emotional wellbeing impacts of hearing loss: Interventions and approaches that can be implemented to augment current clinical practise. And Theresa Chisolm, PhD, will present on hearing healthcare outcomes, as well as the ACHIEVE study. Find out more here.

Paediatric Minimum Discharge Criteria for Children aged 6 months+

The BAA and BSA are pleased to publish a new joint guidance document Paediatric Minimum Discharge Criteria for Children aged 6 months and over, with the aim of supporting good practice and patient’s safe discharge for all paediatric audiology services. We will be arranging a joint webinar to discuss key points shortly.