Audiology services support people with hearing loss and balance problems, helping them stay connected to family life, work and everyday activities.
Over the past year, the Trust has taken targeted action to address long-standing pressures within the service, including increasing clinic availability, commissioning additional capacity and improving how teams work together.
As a result of this work, waiting times for diagnostics and hearing aid fittings have reduced significantly. Most new patients are now expected to be seen within six weeks, with hearing aid fittings taking place within eight weeks of diagnosis, bringing the service back in line with national standards.
Overall waiting lists have reduced across both adults and children, alongside a significant fall in the number of patients waiting for a first appointment.
Improvements have also been made to repairs and maintenance, with most patients now able to access routine support within days.
However, the Trust recognises there is more to do, particularly for patients waiting for follow-up review appointments, and the aim is to ensure all patients currently waiting are seen within the current financial year.
Dr Nick Mallaband, Chief Medical Officer at DBTH, said: “We know that for some time our Audiology service was not where it needed to be, and patients experienced waits that were longer than they should have been.
“Over the past year, teams have worked hard to tackle those long-standing pressures – increasing capacity, improving how we use our skills and resources, and listening more closely to patient feedback. We are now seeing real improvements, particularly in diagnostics and hearing aid fittings, with more patients being seen much sooner.
“However, we are clear that there is more to do, especially for those waiting for follow-up care. Our focus now is on building on this progress and making sure everyone receives timely, reliable support.
“I would like to thank our patients for their patience, and our local advocates and partners for working with us in such a constructive way. That ongoing support and challenge is helping us get to the standard of care people rightly expect.”
Across the next month, around 1,000 patients will be seen, with around 500 follow-up appointments booked within the next fortnight.
Alongside these improvements, the Trust continues to work closely with partners, patient representatives and the local community to support recovery and shape future services.
This has included recent engagement activity delivered with Healthwatch Doncaster, where more than 160 local people came together to access advice, receive on-the-day support such as hearing aid repairs and battery replacements, and speak directly with clinicians about their care.
The event also provided an opportunity for patients to check their waiting list status and share feedback to help shape ongoing improvements.