BSHAA Congress 2009
Harrogate Congress Presentations
Congress 2009
Congress 2009 Audio Presentations
Congress 2008 1
Congress 2008 2 Summary of Presentations - Day 1
Congress 2008 3 Summary of Presentations - Day 2
BSHAA International Congress
Harrogate
June 5th and 6th 2009
The Queen's Suite at the Harrogate International Centre was packed for this first ever annual conference held by the Society - and delegates praised the event as the best ever.
Speakers from the United States, Denmark and the UK kept delegates interested with topics ranging from the research which could lead to a tablet to protect hearing from damaged caused by noise to ways to provide clients with "outrageous customer service".
Officially welcoming delegates to the Congress, the local MP Mr Phil Willis congratulated the Society on it's campaign to bring NHS hearing care to the high street, and urged it to continue, "
because it seems to me that a system which says someone is entitled to free hearing care but only if they agree to attend an NHS hospital chosen for them by their GP is not offering choice at all."
He went on: "
Much has been made in the past about what I think you call “the optical model”. The argument goes that someone with poor eyesight can visit any optician for an eye test, and get a pair of spectacles if they need them along with any entitlement they have to an NHS contribution towards their prescription. Hearing loss, like poor eyesight, is, in 99% of all cases, a consequence of age not of illness and so, says the argument, hearing care should be offered in the same way as eye care.
"In truth this simply over complicates a very simple situation, that people with hearing loss should be given choice. That really is all they want.
"They want the choice of not having to travel to an NHS hospital if they don’t want to; the choice of having their hearing test done on a Saturday, a Sunday or an evening, if they want to. They don’t want to make decisions about which is “good” or which is “bad” hearing care, they simply want to get their hearing care at the most convenient place, at the most convenient time and by the person they choose to provide it.
"In some cases they may want to go to a hospital, in some cases in they may decide to see a high street audiologist. Some people will just want the basic NHS hearing instrument, others may want to choose the hearing aid which best meets their needs; and pay the difference.
"But in all cases they should be able to take their funding with them. Only then can we say we have offered them real choice and only then can we say that there is a level playing field for the independent hearing care profession." You can hear Mr Willis' full speech here.
Call for papers:
The Society is interested in hearing from audiologists and hearing care professionals, academics, scientists and other professionals who wish to present papers at the 2010 Congress. If you have a research paper, thesis or review you wish to present, please submit an abstract together with your CV and contact details to The
Secretary, BSHAA, 9 Lukins Drive, Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1XQ, England, or email secretary@bshaa.com