Discover how Wales’ first mobile Audiology Van is transforming access to hearing care across rural North Wales. In this blog, we explore the story behind the project, the passionate team driving it and what’s next for mobile hearing services.
When Wales’ first Audiology Van took to the streets of North Wales, the team at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board could never have imagined the response from the local community. As we approach the service’s first year anniversary, it’s clear the vehicle is making audiology care more accessible than ever before, raising awareness and breaking down barriers. We met with Jane Wild, Consultant Clinical Scientist and Head of Adult Audiology, and Suzanne Tyson, Principal Audiologist, to find out more about the pioneering project.
Audiology Vehicle ‘Hear to Help’ the North Wales hearing loss landscape
The ‘Hear to Help’ audiology van is one of a kind, providing the highest quality NHS care to rural communities in North Wales, improving outreach and complementing the existing services in local hospitals and GP surgeries. But, where did the idea initially come from?
When Wales’ first Audiology Van took to the streets of North Wales, the team at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board could never have imagined the response from the local community. As we approach the service’s first year anniversary, it’s clear the vehicle is making audiology care more accessible than ever before, raising awareness and breaking down barriers. We met with Jane Wild, Consultant Clinical Scientist and Head of Adult Audiology, and Suzanne Tyson, Principal Audiologist, to find out more about the pioneering project.
The Audiology Vehicle was made possible thanks to charitable funding from Awyr Las: The North Wales NHS Charity and NHS Charities Together. However, the ultimate kickstarter came from a generous legacy donation from a former service user – something that Jane said gave them the push to bring their dream to life.
“It felt really meaningful to use this significant legacy (from an amazing patient) to launch the project. We’d had the idea for such a long time, but the funding just wasn’t there. Through the donation, we were able to approach our other funders with most of the cost covered, we just needed to cross the finish line. It pushed us to turn the idea into a reality.”
From concept to community impact
The Audiology Van seed was planted: after moving through business cases and procurement, the team worked with a company who could turn their inspiring idea into a fully-fledged, custom-built mobile clinic, equipped with everything needed to deliver high-quality audiology care on the road.
Suzanne explained, “The company we worked with were amazing. We had no idea what was (and wasn’t!) possible. A big example was weight – if the van surpassed 3.5 tonnes, we’d find ourselves in the realms of being classed as an HGV and the team would need HGV licenses, so we had to plan carefully. It was a collaborative effort, and once the vehicle arrived we definitely had a slight ‘deer in the headlights’ moment… Would anyone actually want this offering? We needn’t have worried, because as soon as we put that van on the road, the flood gates opened. If anything, we realised we would need a fleet of them!”
The beauty of the van is the broad range of places it can park in. All that’s needed is enough space for its size and on site hand washing facilities for staff, which means the team can find themselves everywhere from GP surgeries, with many kindly offering up their waiting rooms for service users, to Asda car parks.
“The Asdas of the world have been so supportive! It’s great – people come to see us, get their hearing aid sorted and then go and do their weekly shop. We’ve been welcomed with open arms by service users and businesses alike,” said Suzanne.
Despite the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community, the team are constantly looking for ways to improve and expand the service.
Jane said, “We’re still in our first year, so we’re really seeing this as our evaluation year – an opportunity to scope out what works well and what could work better on future vehicles. We currently have a sound-treated room in the van; an extremely high quality and acoustically appropriate space with all the relevant kit. It was an important part of the design, but we’d like to explore if there’s a benefit of having a separate van which isn’t sound treated as this was a significant additional cost. We’ll also consider if there’s the potential for including a special chair for wax removal in the future and adding balance appointments to the schedule. Essentially, we’re figuring out where we can add value and make the most use of the space; it’s an exciting position to be in!”
Maximising awareness of hearing health services in North Wales
The Audiology Van is about more than serving people in North Wales; it’s also about raising awareness of hearing health and hearing loss.
“We absolutely recognise the unmet need in our more rural community and the overall lack of awareness around hearing loss. The van is well branded – there’s a huge ear on the side and the words ‘NHS Audiology Team, Hear to Help’. People see the van and wonder what it’s about, and will often come and ask a few questions, so we’re flying the flag for the service,” said Jane.
Suzanne added, “We want to see patients at the initial stages of hearing loss, rather than two to three years down the line. We hope that the buzz and conversations that this van is kick starting will make that possible.”
The Audiology Van has attracted an enormous deal of political attention in Wales, as well as from other healthcare services and providers.
“All of the main political parties have wanted to come and look at the van. Let’s face it; it’s a great news story, and a positive step for Wales. We’ve also had a lot of contact from other Welsh health boards, local teams and national colleagues, as well as from NHS England about how the van ties into our primary care model,” said Jane.
“It’s been great, because there’s also been lots of collaborative opportunities and information sharing with other professions such as mental health and sight loss organisations. We’ve had questions like, ‘can we head to a location together?’. Our answer is YES! It means we’re able to create mini, pop-up community hubs across all services. It’s been of enormous benefit to the community,” said Suzanne.
A profession with purpose
It’s clear that both Jane and Suzanne are incredibly passionate about their service; but we wanted to know what brought them to audiology in the first place.
“Honestly? I fell into it! I don’t think audiology is necessarily a profession that a career officer pushes you towards when you’re younger. Saying that, it should be! For me, I happened to know a girl who worked in audiology and was taking on a 12 month contract; 37 years later, and they still can’t get rid of me! I adore what I do, and while I didn’t grow up with this as my dream job, it absolutely is now,” said Suzanne.
“It was a similar story for me,” said Jane, “When I was younger, I knew what I didn’t want to be, but not necessarily what I did want to be. I saw the job and I wasn’t sure what the job would be able to offer me but, wow, once I got started I quickly realised how many of my boxes it ticked. It’s such a varied role, with countless opportunities and the perfect mix of patient care, science, technology and even therapy. I also love how the size of the service means that you can make an actual difference. It’s quite a small field, so if you’re working on a piece of research there’s a huge chance it’s actually going to have an impact on patients. People say audiology is the best career in the world, and they’re absolutely right.”
Of course, even the best careers come with challenges. However, Suzanne and Jane’s positive attitudes mean all potential obstacles are seen as drivers for change.
“As we see more young patients, there’s now a greater need to keep up with the constantly evolving technology. It can be a learning curve, but we’ve got some brilliant links with hearing aid companies who are always happy to help and it’s our responsibility to then keep up with the changing needs. It’s a nice challenge to have,” said Suzanne.
Jane added, “Challenges are all opportunities. Growing our workforce may have been a challenge in the past, but we were able to ask ourselves – okay, what can we do to fix that? We raised awareness and our profile, we trained more people and we found solutions. It’s all interconnected!
“We know that good communication is undervalued, so if we can work on that we can, as a result, connect with more people and help to solve challenges around other issues such as estates or funding for technology. Although we are in a good position in Wales, we never get complacent. We always want to do better and keep ahead of the curve.”
Both Suzanne and Jane are passionate about encouraging the next generation into audiology. Career pathways in Wales make this more accessible, with routes from a band 3 entry level role all the way up to a consultant.
“We’re lucky to be able to say that there’s no glass ceiling for audiology in Wales. With the right opportunities, there’s a pathway, and that’s the case whether someone is joining at GCSE assistant level or as a master’s student. There’s no barrier to moving through to the next stage,” said Jane, “It’s such a multifaceted career – a lifetime career! I want the next generation to know that, and to see audiology as an incredible job where no two days are ever the same. If they come in with an open mind, take opportunities and spread their wings, they will fall in love with the role as much as we have.”
A huge thank you to Jane and Suzanne for sharing their time, insight and unwavering passion for audiology. It’s clear that this project is about so much more than a van – it’s about transforming access, raising awareness, and making a real difference in people’s lives.
If you’ve been inspired by their story, we encourage you to learn more about the work of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Audiology Team. Whether you’re a professional, a patient, or someone simply interested in hearing health, there’s never been a better time to get involved, seek support, or spread the word.
To find out more about the Audiology Van and its upcoming stops, visit their website.
