3. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to carry out its commitment to put community audiology services on a par with free community eye care services. (S6O-02738)

The Scottish Government remains fully committed to enhancing community audiology services. We continue to work closely with national health service boards

, social care and the third sector to develop fully integrated and sustainable audiology services that are located closer to the local communities that are being served. Our approach will be informed by outcomes from the recently published national audiology review.

The “Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland”, which I assume is what the minister was referring to, noted:

“there are many areas ripe for improvement, and there is a huge appetite for change.”

It found

“multiple, systemic problems within audiology services in NHS Scotland.”

Will the minister set out a timeline for such improvement?

I, too, welcomed the publication of the independent review of audiology services, and we are now carefully considering its recommendations. We are clear that the review is an opportunity to refocus audiology services in Scotland, to learn from mistakes that have been made and to shape a better future for audiology as a whole.

We will provide an update to the Parliament in due course. In the meantime, in response to the concerns that have been highlighted by the independent review, the Scottish Government has provided additional funding to health boards to support further training in auditory brainstem response assessments for staff working in paediatric audiology services.