Methodology

Assessment

Using clinical overview and case history, otoscopy, pure tone audiometry including bone conduction, masking where necessary and loudness discomfort where required to British Society of Audiology (BSA) recommended procedures.

Fitting

Set-up and programming of aids including real ear measurement (REM) as required. Instruction and practice of insertion/fitting. Evaluate perceptions with patient, instruct in care, cleaning, use of features and battery replacement.

Follow-up

Discuss experience and any difficulties. Check use of features. Fine-tune as necessary. REM as required and review Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB).

Aftercare

Ongoing care and equipment maintenance to provide aftercare as required, otoscopy, checking and cleaning aids, listening to aids and checking functions. Re-tubing ear moulds for BTEs and replacing ear buds for open fittings.

Resources and equipment

All hearing aid dispensers (HADs) are registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC) All equipment to accommodate NHS requirements including REM and data transfer.

Choice

Technology

For maximum patient choice we can offer a BTE, ITE and the latest slim tube and open fit technology hearing aids all sourced via the NHS Supply Chain.

Timing

Appointments to suit the individual for assessment, fitting and follow-up, followed by aftercare or repairs as required, including weekend and evening provision where appropriate.

Staff

All our hearing aid dispensers (HADs) are registered with the Health professions Council (HPC) and the Independent Safeguard Authority (ISA) and are CRB checked in accordance with NHS standards. These dispensers are local professionals who know how best to serve their community. Add to this the expertise of the National NHS Services team, and you too could have a success story in your area.

Location

Venues within the community, including our network of over 440 Hearing Centres. In addition, our team provides you with flexibility by completing pathways within medical centres or similar, giving accessibility through a range of venues rather than just fixed provider locations.

Accessibility

Specsavers believes that care should be in the community offering patients choice of site within your region. To further facilitate patients’ choice, we have installed Choose and Book (N3) in our state-of-the-art Contact Centre in Nottingham.

Waiting time reduction

We will provide a rapid access service to reduce waiting time. Typical patients' pathways will be six weeks from GP Referral to Treatment, with the maximum time from GP referral to assessment being two weeks.

Costs

We work within 2010/2011 non-mandatory indicative tariff for adult hearing services published by the Department of Health.

Patients Satisfaction Survey

As part of our commitment to quality, service and value, patients will be asked to complete a satisfaction survey reviewing prior, current and post-appointment processes. This could be provided in addition to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) and any Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) prescribed by the commissioner for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

Compliance

Professional codes of practice, infection control and incident reporting will be adhered to in line with Standards for Better Health (SfBH) core standards. As part of our continued commitment to maintaining our position as a leading provider to the NHS, we are currently undertaking accreditation for:
- ISO9001 Quality Management Systems
- ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems
- ISO27001 Information Security Management Systems.

Data Protection

All our data complies with the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and subsequent amendments, in addition to the NHS Code of Confidentiality.

Credibility to Deliver

Specsavers has over 440 hearing centres in the UK and is the largest provider of hearing aids by volume within the UK private sector. We pride ourselves in having a total commitment to professionalism, quality, service and value for money, which translates through to our NHS service provision.