Slow progress in hearing care: Open letter to Jenni Minto MSP
- Area of Work: Policy and Research, Scottish Sensory Hub
- Type: News Item
- Published: 25th August 2025
Two years after the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland, the ALLIANCE asks: Where are we?
Along with the National Deaf Children’s Society, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, and the British Academy of Audiology, the ALLIANCE has signed an open letter to Jenni Minto MSP, raising concerns about audiology services in Scotland.
Today marks two years since the publication of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland (IRASS), which identified “multiple systemic problems” in the provision of hearing services across NHS Scotland. Yet despite this hard-hitting report, which demanded urgent action from the Scottish Government, many children and adults are still missing out on the support they so urgently need.
Most of us will experience deafness in our lives. Access to accurate and prompt audiology services is critical to good outcomes – particularly for young children, where delays or inaccuracies in testing can have lifelong impacts.
While the Scottish Government committed to implementing all the Independent Review’s recommendations, progress has been slow, and external input from the third sector and people with lived experience side-lined.
Pockets of good practice do exist. NHS Tayside Audiology service has taken proactive action to considerably reduce its waiting times for routine adult appointments. It has also become the first audiology service in Scotland to achieve national accreditation on improving quality standards. All Health Boards across Scotland must be supported by the Scottish Government to provide the high-quality service that audiology staff want to deliver.
We believe that the Scottish Government must equip audiology services with the resources, workforce, and leadership necessary to deliver the best possible outcomes for deaf children and adults.
We are calling for action in three key areas:
- Evidence of independent safety checks: Services must be held to high standards, with independent experts involved in reviewing staff competency and service performance.
- Clear accountability for workforce planning: The Scottish Government must ensure a sustainable pipeline for Scotland’s audiology workforce. This should include the reinstatement of an
undergraduate university course to train new audiologists. - Transparent reporting: Routine and transparent reporting of audiology referral to treatment waiting times for Health Boards must be introduced, alongside clear targets for improvement.
Without more ambitious and decisive action from the Scottish Government, however, we fear that the current system will continue to fall short.
When every moment counts, it is time for action – not words.
End of page.
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