Whittington Health NHS Trust audiology team have reduced long waiters by a whopping 80%. This is a massive improvement from last year where the acute and community Audiology diagnostic performance was 35.5%, significantly below the Trust target of 99%. 628 patients breached the 6-week target for a hearing test in Haringey, Camden and Islington, with 336 more in Barnet and Enfield.
The result is from a collective group effort, which included better letters to reduce DNA rates; calling people prior to face to face appointments to optimise this time for testing and discharging patients; partnership working across boroughs to provide equitable access for all communities; flexibility by specialists to see a wider range of patients to ease pressures; and overtime clinics.
The ongoing dedication and commitment from staff at Whittington, has seen their November performance increased to 80.5%, with just 154 patients waiting more than 6 weeks for a hearing test, down by 83% (747 patients) since April 2023.
The team has also campaigned to increase public awareness of the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing population, and has introduced new referral pathways, including from the memory clinic in Haringey to their adult service and multi-disciplinary working.
The team’s commitment to innovation and raising Audiology’s profile continues, with plans in place to recruit and train into new posts; and for digital transformation to improve efficiency, patient safety and quality of incoming referrals.
As a result of this epic commitment through 2023, the Audiology team was awarded the Extra Mile team award for December.