Trust cuts hearing aid wait to under two weeks | News

Patients waiting for hearing aids at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust are now receiving them in less than two weeks, after an innovative new pathway transformed the service and reduced waiting times from a peak of 13 months.

The team had already been reviewing the traditional face-to-face audiology clinic, and trialled new formats including group sessions, but the real impact came with the launch of a virtual fitting pathway.

This was launched in February and led by Deputy Head of Audiology, Tessy Henry Gomez and senior audiologists Ashwati P K and Merin Mariam Abraham.

Targeting patients with mild to moderate hearing loss (who make up 60% of the hearing aid waiting list) audiologists pre-programmed the hearing aids and posted them directly to patients.

Patients then received a follow-up telephone call six weeks later to check how they were getting on with their hearing aids and provide additional support if needed.

The results

• The waiting list of 595 patients with mild to moderate hearing loss was cleared in just six months.
• Today, new patients in this group have hearing aids posted out every Friday. This means they wait less than two weeks from initial assessment to receive their hearing aids.
• The department’s waiting list has fallen from 1,300 to just 334 patients, with maximum waiting times dropping to four months.
• The new, streamlined pathway will save the NHS money by freeing up clinic space to see more new patients.

National recognition

Participating in the NHS Elect Audiology Improvement Collaborative from September 2025 to September 2026, the team’s hard work was recognised at a celebration event in London.

Audiology received a special commendation from the Director of NHS Elect, who praised Tessy Henry Gomez for her leadership.

NHS England and the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) are now reviewing the model to see how it can act as a blueprint for audiology departments across the country.