Routine and specialist audiology in eastern Devon
New providers for routine and specialist audiology in eastern Devon have been identified following procurement process.
The contract currently held by CHIME Social Enterprise is ending on 31 March 2025.
Routine Audiology will now be delivered by several providers within the Eastern locality, and patients will be able to choose from these and other commissioned providers across Devon with the aim to increase capacity and reduce wait times for patients to access this service. The new providers will begin delivering care from 1 April 2025.
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is the new provider for specialist services and will also begin to see patients from 1 April 2025.
Both the Routine and Specialist Audiology service will continue to be fully funded by the NHS and free to all eligible patients.
All new referrals to routine audiology that would have previously been sent to CHIME will temporarily be held by Devon Referral Support Services (DRSS).
Patients on the wait list for an appointment will also be returned to DRSS where a new choice conversation will take place between the patient and DRSS, with services commencing 1 April 2025. Bookings will be made in order of wait, with the longest waiters being offered appointments first.
Existing patients will be contacted by CHIME with instructions about who will contact them (DRSS) regarding transferring to a new provider, but the letters will also include helpful advice about what other contacts are useful in the meantime i.e. for batteries, hearing aid repairs, etc.