Audiology service becomes first in UK to achieve new IQIPS standard

The Audiology team at Sheffield Children’s have become the first physiological service in the UK to move to the new IQIPS (Improving Quality in Physiological Services) 2020 standard.

The accreditation recognises quality clinical care and management across five domains – Leadership and Management, Clinical, Patient Experience, Safety and Risk Management, and Facilities and Resources. This means that children, young people and their families can be assured that they are receiving high quality care whilst at Sheffield Children’s.

The accreditation is managed and delivered by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) and covers eight Physiological Science disciplines. The external assessors check that the service can demonstrate that it can consistently follow current evidence based scientific practice, guidance and protocols. UKAS also look at quality measures in the department, the environment in which the Audiology team work, and how governance is supported by structures in the Trust.

Suzanne Carrick, Head of Hearing Services, said: “As a service we have been accredited since May 2016, but there has been a transition to a new standard (version 2, 2020 standard) and we are the first service in the country to achieve this, which is quite the accolade!

“It reflects well on the team because of the high standard of quality needed to achieve accreditation, and the teamwork that is needed. All members in the team have an active role. It also reflects the support we receive from other services within the Trust. We are assessed each year and maintaining this requires full commitment.”

Laura Booth, Senior Assessment Manager responsible for IQIPS, said: “Following the recent commencement of the transition of accreditation to the revised IQIPS standard v2 2020 for the UKAS IQIPS scheme, it is our pleasure to congratulate the Audiology team at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust as the first organisation to gain accreditation to the revised standard. This achievement follows a great deal of hard work and is testament to the team’s commitment to continual improvement and providing confidence to the children and families using their services.”

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sheffield Children’s Audiology team has continued to assess and manage the hearing and balance problems of children and young people. They support patients with all types of hearing loss, complete assessments relating to listening difficulties, provide complex services such as bone anchored hearing devices, tinnitus rehabilitation, balance and vestibular assessment and support our patients’ transition into adult services.

You can find out more about how our Audiology team provide care for children and young people on our website.