New July 5th
HPC registration process underway
Members of the Society are reminded that the final registration renewal form will be posted this week and you must have registered with the HPC by 31st July if you are to remain on the register. For full details log in to the members section.
BSHAA 2010 Congress a big hit
Best selling author and trainer Andy Cope was the opening speaker at the Society's annual congress which took place in Manchester on May 14th and 15th. His audience of more than 300 hearing aid dispensers and hearing professionals learnt how to be brilliant! A full reports and photographs will appear soon on the official Congress page.
Hearing aid dispensers get new regulator
Long awaited changes to the way private sector hearing aid dispensers are regulated came into force on April 1st. The registration of dispensers is now the responsibility of the Health Professions Council who also regulate a variety of other healthcare professionals.
The changes have have been welcomed by the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists which has be working towards them for the past five years.
In 2005, the Government announced that the HAC was to be abolished and its registration and regulatory functions transferred to the Health Professions Council (HPC). The Council says this change will strengthen protection for consumers, reduce costs for the industry and remove barriers between the public and private sectors. The HAC will be the first statutory regulator absorbed by the HPC. For more information on the changeover click here.
www.hpc-uk.org
Customer Care Scheme launched
A national scheme which assures customers of the high quality of the service offered by its members has been launched by the Society. The
Customer Care Scheme was announced some time ago but has now come fully into effect. Hearing aid dispensers
have to offer exceptionally high levels of customer service and care before they are admitted to the scheme.
Customers can be sure the quality of the professional care they receive from an independent hearing aid audiologist because they have to pass tough examinations and register before they are licensed to dispense hearing aids. They also have to take part a programme of continuing learning to keep their professional skills up to date.
However being a member of the Customer Care Scheme is further proof that they are serious about looking after their customers and are fully committed to assuring a high quality service and professionalism.
The Society's vice-president, Peter Ince, said: "
If a hearing aid business is registered under the scheme they have to assure us that they have a clear, fair, speedy and transparent way of dealing with issues raised by their customers. Further if they are not able to resolve those issues, the Society will step in and can offer conciliation and arbitration if that is appropriate."
So far 80 companies representing around 70% of individual hearing aid audiologists in the Society have signed up for the scheme. The Society is
confident that in the future people wanting a hearing aid will only go to an individual or Company which displays the BSHAA mark of assurance.
Click here for more information.
Click here to see a list of companies which are in the scheme
The entries on our Find a Dispenser facility also indicate if a Company is participating in the scheme.
BSHAA is the professional body which represents and promotes the interests of the independent hearing aid profession mainly within Great Britain and Northern Ireland but globally too. Our members are highly trained hearing care professionals who have extensive and unrivalled experience and knowledge of the hearing instruments that are available to help with hearing loss.
Our role is to assist in the development of these high standards in professional and business practice and to provide facilities for study, practice and continuing professional development. We seek to regulate professional and commercial standards through a code of practice and ensure that our members (MSHAA) and fellows (FSHAA) are enrolled in a programme of continuing education to maintaining and developing their knowledge of the rapidly expanding field of hearing aid technology.
We encourage research and development into hearing aid technology, seek to help shape the way hearing care is provided for the public, now and in the future.
We also promote hearing aid audiology to the public and support customer choice and access in hearing aid care; with assured quality of service and a professional workforce.