After a number of complaints from constituents across Mid and South Essex about the lack of community audiology appointments available for those who felt their hearing was beginning to deteriorate, I joined some of my fellow Conservative Essex MPs in writing to the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) about the service on offer.
We’ve now received a response from Tom Abell, the ICB’s Chief Executive, who agrees with us that there is a “significant gap” in the provision of community audiology services in this area.
Currently audiology services are commissioned from the Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust for the three hospital acute sites - Basildon, Broomfield and Southend – with some community provision in mid Essex through Provide CIC.
The ICB has explained it is currently working on designing and commissioning an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) and Audiology community service which will cover everyone who lives in mid and south Essex, with the aim to have a pathway established by the end of this year.
In the meantime, I was pleased to hear efforts are being made to reduce waiting times in audiology and ENT services and additional funding has been allocated for more clinics to take place.
This is good news for those with hearing loss in the area, and I look forward to the news service being available later this year.
However, having had a number of emails recently from constituents who are finding it difficult to access NHS dental services for check ups, I feel there may be another issue the ICB needs to get its teeth into.
