26 Dec 2011
Health secretary Andrew Lansley has announced that nearly half
of Primary Care Trust (PCT) clusters in England have selected adult
hearing aid services for implementing the Any Qualified Provider
(AQP) model.
AQP allows patients to choose, where
appropriate, from a range of qualified providers who are licensed
to deliver safe care and treatment, in an effort to improve quality
and competition within the health care market.
According to the charity Action on Hearing
Loss, two out of three people in the UK who could benefit from
having hearing aids provided for them have still yet to receive
them. However, the charity, which was involved in the development
of the AQP implementation pack for hearing aid services, expects
patients to have better access to the services they need under the
new model.
Jackie Ballard, chief executive of Action
on Hearing Loss, welcomed the decisions by many PCT clusters to
provide hearing aid services through AQP, adding that this is
likely to benefit the estimated four million people who have
unaddressed hearing loss. "Our support for AQP is on the basis that
the quality of hearing services improves and high clinical
standards are guaranteed. We believe that AQP will drive innovation
and create hearing services which are more accessible and better
suited to individual needs," she added.
Healthcare website Pulse reported recently
(December 12th) that the majority of PCT clusters who responded to
an information request plan to prioritise podiatry, adult hearing
and diagnostics services on the open market under the AQP
model.
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/newsarticle-content/-/article_display_list/13072884/podiatry-and-diagnostics-top-aqp-list-of-service-priorities
http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/news-and-events/all-regions/news/action-on-hearing-loss-welcomes-the-governments-drive-to-improve-quality-of-hearing-aid-services.aspx
If you think you may have a hearing loss why not take our
online hearing check questionnaire or make an
appointment to have a hearing test at your nearest
Amplifon branch.
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