Look local: Blending audio and visual care

A former industrial centre for coal mining and metal production in the Black Country, the metropolitan city that is located west of Birmingham is diverse and populous. There are several optometric practices in the city that have responded to the demand for accessible care for the untreated cases of deafness in the community by offering audiology clinics on premises. In Wolverhampton these practices are Specsavers, Scrivens and Boots which are part of respective chains of optometry-audiology business-clinics spread across the UK.

With aural degradation coming with age, audiologists can take GP referral patients and offer a hearing test. The aftercare could include new hearing aids or upgrades, adjustments, cleaning, repair, battery changes and cerumen (earwax) removal. These services currently take up a lot of hospital appointment time (see Community Ear Care, below).