Click on Logo to enter the Main site (for members and others)...      

NEWS Feb.  2010:   Just to let you all know that our New Secretary is

Therina O'Mahony who can be contacted at O'Mahony.Therina@sivuh.ie

Next committe meeting   22nd March

 Jennifer and Emma and Nicolaas are standing down from the committee and we wish them all the best!   We have decided to hold the next Annual Conference in TULLAMORE on Friday 1st October and we all hope it will be as pleasant as the one last year!  Same arrangements will apply in terms of being required to pay up in advance to ensure our numbers will be self sufficient.  We will again have slots available for people who wish to present local projects or research, so let us know.

AUDIOLOGY REVIEW GROUP- Submissions are now officially closed for the HSE review but if any of you stll have important things to convey then comments may be accepted - see HSE website for details.

Jonathan Parsons and Jim Collins were excellent guest speakers at the last conference,  who stimulated further thinking about professional development JP Cork 2009.ppt and influencing services.  Lean management got a good airing with Jim's presentation  Lean Healthcare presentation.ppt.  And our own members contributed well this year with local projects and innovations (see further down page for those links.  Well done all! 

RETIREMENT:  Dr. Patricia Murphy has just retired from her Head of Audiology post at North Great George's Street (Picture below right).  We wish her all the best and will miss her hardworking and thoughtful approach to her work.  There has been an advertisement for a short-term replacement and a Basic post there, which will still leave Dublin's paediatric hearing aid users with a very spartan service. Leaders where are you??

COMMITTEE NEWS:   Deepak Kumar became the new Treasurer in place of Nicolaas and Therina took over as Secretary from Jennifer. Jean remains on as Chairperson to oversee the transition to a Profesional Body which is with the solicitor at the moment. HSE Community Hearing Services and Hospital services remain very small and underfunded by international standards and hopes of National UNHS seem to have faded completely with the recession and cutbacks.

Deafhear ongoing Hearing Screening project is within Holles Street, but what is the clinical audit process to ensure that referral rates are appropriate.  'NICU' Children, the new screening targets, have special needs and criteria - not the original 'target group' intended by Deafhear, needing knowledge and experience to supervise follow-up.  Complaints were registered on behalf of ISA.

http://www.irishmedicalnews.ie/index.php/current-issue/editorial-comment/1118-the-silent-problems-of-audiology

Please follow the link above to see how Martin's excellent work is starting to make waves in Health...  - we need to publicise our problems and recognise the complete understaffing and isolation which afflicts so many of us in our working life and the only way to do that is collect accurate statistics...

                                  Middle Ear course ran in December in Stewart's Hospital Palmerstown over 2 days by the regular Guymark team for 37 people!    G

Aademic Contributions:  Vestibular Rehabilitation from 2008Vestibular Rehabilitation ppt. 

Also the presentations from this year and last year by Martin Cromb on the Current State of Audiology Services in this country. Audiology Services in ROI.ppt  from 2008 and now new to the website Martins ISA presentation 2009.ppt.

A unique Community Services Ear Care project running in Wexford, derived from the Rotherham NHS model of Ear Care.  This is Audiology-led change with a real patient focus.  Projectsummary9703.ppt  Why not print off the Ear Wax leaflet for use in YOUR departments (we don't mind you changing the location to suit!) WAXleaflet0509Audiology.doc  or look at the NHS document on Audiology service development. www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyandGuidance/DH_076884

And tell every audiologist you know about this!

CUEs can be claimed for ISA/BSA/BAA/ISHAA/BSHAA/IMO and EFAS/AAA etc... meetings with suitable evidence of content or where similar schemes are allocating points per hour. So start collecting!   

HSE are currently  sponsoring 4 Irish students to attend B.Sc. Audiology courses in the UK  but there are no plans to expand that at present due to the current economic climate unfortunately, Can your dept take on placement students?  If so, let Jean Hegarty know...   The year would need to be divided between diagnostic and rehabilitation. 

JOBS:  Interesting that Audiology is not listed as an 'exempted post' despite the clear dearth of Audiologists and severe lack of services in a number of areas.  On the positive side, can over-50s can apply for the early retirement scheme.... what are your views?

There are, however, posts available in Northern Ireland in Audiology. (and indeed worldwide), and a quick Google will show you some of the opportunities available.  Anyone interested in finding out more Northern Ireland can contact Colleen Butler at: cbutler@bbt.co.uk , Beresford Blake Thomas Clarence Chambers, 18 Donegall Square East Belfast, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland BT1 5HE  Tel: +44 (0) 2890261670.

There was talk of ISA asking Professor Adrian Davis to come and sort out Neonatal Hearing Screening Programmes here.  Contact the Website for your views to be aired at: theresapitt@eircom.net