Contracted Service Provider Notice
Hearing Services Program Review
(CSPN - 202009)
A review of the Hearing Services Program has commenced.
With an ageing population, Australia faces increasing demand for hearing services. Greater focus on early detection and intervention, particularly amongst vulnerable cohorts, will also increase demand in this sector. The current arrangements for delivery of hearing services have remained largely unchanged since 1997, and a number of reviews have found the program has not kept pace with changes in the hearing sector or contemporary standards.
An Expert Panel, led by Professor Mike Woods, and panellist Dr Zena Burgess PhD, will review the program and identify possible reforms to ensure that the program remains client-focused while modernising key components in the context of policy, markets and technological developments.
The Review aims to strengthen access and choice for eligible Australians who are hard of hearing in regional, rural and remote areas, and ensure service delivery for vulnerable groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Panel will consider a series of policy papers including previous inquiries and the Roadmap for Hearing Health, and will consult with industry and the community. It will report to Government through the Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications, and Local Government in July 2021.
Further detail including the Terms of Reference is available at www.health.gov.au/hearing-review and you can subscribe to further updates on the Review by emailing hearing-review@health.gov.au
Download this CSPN CSPN 2020-09 Hearing Services Program Review