Direct hearing aid referral: the effect upon outpatient waiting times in a district general hospital

One hundred elderly patients referred for hearing aids have been assessed with a view to setting up a direct hearing aid referral system, based upon the criteria laid down by the liaison group for Technicians, Therapists and Scientists in Audiology (TTSA). Sixty-three per cent of the patients could have been fitted with a hearing aid directly. Adequate prior wax removal, could increase this figure to 84%, with a reduction in the waiting time for a hearing aid of 6.1 months.