Chris Bennett: There’s a buzz around audiology

Breast beating among the optical professions bemoaning their treatment at the hands of government, the market and the NHS is a regular occurrence, so it may come as a surprise to find that other health professions look at optics longingly.

This is either because it is seen as a success story in joined up thinking, creation of a level playing field or as a sound business model. Of late I have heard advocates for both dentistry, yes dentistry, and audiology making such protestations claiming they are hard done by and that opticians (sic) have got it right.

Audiology (see In Focus) is particularly prescient given the publication of NHS England’s commissioning framework guide for Clinical Commissioning Groups. The narrative treads a well-worn path. Expensive secondary care is being expended on large numbers of people, many of whom are suffering age-related symptoms. By providing simple treatment pathways in the community the NHS saves money, the patient gets better treatment and more people take advantage of an accessible service.