BAA Heads of Service Meeting – June 2026

The British Academy of Audiology is pleased to invite NHS Heads of Service and Clinical Leads to attend an in-person Heads of Service meeting on Wednesday 17 June 2026, at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre (BCEC), conveniently located opposite Birmingham New Street Station.

This full-day meeting will provide an important opportunity for senior audiology leaders to come together, share learning, and explore innovations shaping audiology services across the UK. We will be showcasing examples of innovation and service development from across the regions, alongside updates and discussion on key strategic and operational priorities.

Event details:

Venue: Birmingham Conference and Event Centre (BCEC), Hill St, Birmingham B5 4EW

9:00:  Registration & Refreshments

9:30:  Welcome and BAA state of the nation. Claire Benton, BAA President

9:50:  NHS England NSA for hearing & related conditions – what’s that all about then? Dr Michelle Foster

10:10:  Planning a safe and sustainable audiology workforce. Dr Saima Rajasingam, BAA Vice President & Deputy Head of School for Resources and External Engagement, Anglia Ruskin University

10:30:  Next Generation Hearing Technology. Alison Stone, Training Manager & Audiologist, Oticon UK

11.00:  Refreshment Break

11:30:  Developing the Paediatric Audiology Workforce: Updates from the Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme. Dr Sharon Harrison, National School of HCS, Professor Dee Ripley, Deputy CSO and Head of the National School of HCS & Dr Bhavisha Parmar, UCL Ear Institute

12:00:  Innovations and initiatives in Wales – vans, robots and memory clinics. Jane Wild, Head of Adult Audiology, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

12:30:  Lunch

13:30:  Service reviews with Trusts to explore excellence and fragility within our HCS workforce and services. Peter Bill, Regional Chief Healthcare Scientist for the West Midlands

13:50:  HTS: times are a changing.Jane Beavan, HTS Committee Co-chair

14:10:  Audiology first for all dizzy patients across Manchester. Ben Adams, Head of Audiology – Clinical and Operational Lead at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

14:30:  10 min comfort break

14:45:  Regional Training hub models: The vision, the challenges and the realities (through an East of England lens). Judith Bird, Head of Service, Audiology and Emmeline Centre

15:05:  ENT & Audiology Pathway in the North East & Yorkshire. Dr Michelle Foster, Regional Healthcare Scientist.

15:30:  Summing up and close – Claire Benton, BAA President

Booking has now closed. If you would like to join the waiting list please email: victoria@baaudiology.org 

Thank you to Oticon for their sponsorship of this event.