Abstract
In November 2024, Tinnitus UK conducted a ground-breaking investigation
into tinnitus care provided by Hearing Healthcare Practitioners (HHPs) within
the private sector and the National Health Service (NHS) across the United
Kingdom. This research builds on issues highlighted in the February 2024
‘Revealing the Struggle for Silence’ report, shedding light on critical challenges
and opportunities for improvement in tinnitus care. The study also delved into the education and training of HHPs at UK universities, with nearly 6% of the HHP workforce contributing their insights.
Key findings from the research include:
1.Long delays in NHS tinnitus care:
NHS clinicians reported waiting times of up to 12 months for psychology, talking therapies, CBT referrals or hearing aid assistance and three years for ENT appointments.
2.Extended NHS wait times for therapies:
NHS patients face waits from three months to over a year for referrals to talking therapies and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), leaving many without timely intervention.
3.Low priority for tinnitus in private clinics:
36% of private audiology professionals say tinnitus care is a low priority for them, with only 12% indicating that their employers view it as essential.
4.Concerns over deviations from NICE Guidelines:
Audiologist-led CBT for tinnitus is increasing, raising concerns about industry
standards, and practices diverging from established NICE recommendations.
5.Significant gaps in university-level education:
None of the surveyed UK university audiology departments offer tinnitus-specific clinical mentoring, competency logbooks, or work placements, leaving future
practitioners underprepared.
Despite these challenges, the research reveals a unanimous desire among HHPs across the public and private sectors, as well as in academia, to enhance their
knowledge and skills so that they can provide better support for tinnitus patients.
into tinnitus care provided by Hearing Healthcare Practitioners (HHPs) within
the private sector and the National Health Service (NHS) across the United
Kingdom. This research builds on issues highlighted in the February 2024
‘Revealing the Struggle for Silence’ report, shedding light on critical challenges
and opportunities for improvement in tinnitus care. The study also delved into the education and training of HHPs at UK universities, with nearly 6% of the HHP workforce contributing their insights.
Key findings from the research include:
1.Long delays in NHS tinnitus care:
NHS clinicians reported waiting times of up to 12 months for psychology, talking therapies, CBT referrals or hearing aid assistance and three years for ENT appointments.
2.Extended NHS wait times for therapies:
NHS patients face waits from three months to over a year for referrals to talking therapies and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), leaving many without timely intervention.
3.Low priority for tinnitus in private clinics:
36% of private audiology professionals say tinnitus care is a low priority for them, with only 12% indicating that their employers view it as essential.
4.Concerns over deviations from NICE Guidelines:
Audiologist-led CBT for tinnitus is increasing, raising concerns about industry
standards, and practices diverging from established NICE recommendations.
5.Significant gaps in university-level education:
None of the surveyed UK university audiology departments offer tinnitus-specific clinical mentoring, competency logbooks, or work placements, leaving future
practitioners underprepared.
Despite these challenges, the research reveals a unanimous desire among HHPs across the public and private sectors, as well as in academia, to enhance their
knowledge and skills so that they can provide better support for tinnitus patients.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Tinnitus UK |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Feb 2025 |