BSHAA Member Spotlight - get featured on our website
We invite all members to submit up to 500 words of text about you and your job, and a nice photo of yourself, ideally in a work setting. You can tell us why you got into the profession, what you’re most proud of in your career so far, why you’re a member of BSHAA and more.
We’d like to add a new member to the web page regularly, and also feature each one in BSHAA People. We need to make sure we represent the breadth of our membership in this feature, and by updating it regularly we hope to give all of our contributors a chance to appear, and to showcase the amazing work being done by BSHAA members up and down the country.
Please send your profile and photo to editor@bshaa.org
PRIYA TANK, in Leicester
“I knew I always wanted to be an audiologist. I grew up with my aunt who is hard of hearing, so hearing loss was always something that resonated closely with me. After spending some time shadowing at Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) and completing my A-Levels in Biology, Psychology, and Business at Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth I College (WQE), I was thrilled to have been awarded a place to study BSc (Hons) Audiology at the University of Manchester.
After graduating with a 2:1, I landed a job as an audiologist in the private sector working for Boots. I excelled at dispensing and found it so rewarding to help every new patient that walked through the door hear again. I spent several years at Boots dispensing and mentoring new audiologists, until I decided that I wanted a new challenge.
After enjoying various mentoring opportunities, I developed a strong interest in teaching, but I didn’t want to stop being an audiologist. I was browsing LinkedIn and stumbled across a conjoined position as both an audiologist and a business development manager for a professional healthcare course trainer under the name of Meduc8ion. This was ideal, I remember thinking. This would allow me to combine not only my love for teaching and audiology but also the business and clinical side of audiology. After attending an interview, I secured the position and started on my new venture with Meduc8ion.
As an offshoot of independent hearing provider, Hear4U, Meduc8ion offers professional medical courses within the realm of audiology. When I first started, I was placed on the Earwax Removal training course; passing it with flying colours and gained further clinical experience in the various methods used to remove earwax from the ear. As the business development manager of Meduc8ion, I am now the lead trainer for its Ear Anatomy & Otoscopy and Earwax Removal courses alongside spending two days a week as an audiologist down at Hear4U.
Meduc8ion is unique in its approach to the future of hearing healthcare and professional training courses. As an audiologist myself, I know that there is a worldwide shortage of hearing care professionals (especially audiologists) and so we look to not only sharpen the skillsets of pre-existing healthcare professionals, but also contribute to the training and personal growth of the upcoming generation. We provide trainees with the opportunity to practice otoscopy and earwax removal on people rather than dummies to assimilate real-life situations. This allows trainees to build confidence in their ability to practice safely and efficiently before entering the real-world of otoscopy and earwax removal.
I am working towards turning Meduc8ion into a fully-fledged training academy by adding more courses relevant to both the public and private sectors of hearing healthcare. Courses in Tympanometry and Real Ear Measurements will be put in place by the end of the year, and I am looking to implement courses in Aural Swabbing and Mental Health Awareness in 2023.
I am delighted to have been given this opportunity to explore a different side to audiology; knowing that many future hearing professionals will be trained by me; to the exceptional standards of what hearing healthcare should be.”
(Content submitted by, and the opinion of a member. Not representative of BSHAA)
JO HERROD in Nottingham
Over the 18 years spent at “The Ropewalk”, I worked my way up to Chief Audiologist. My role with the NHS was varied: I worked on the Tinnitus Clinic alongside the late world-renowned Professor Ross Coles;
I performed paediatric hearing testing on babies as young as 6 months old, I worked on the Vestibular Clinic (also fondly known as the “Dizzy Clinic”), carrying out diagnostic testing on patients with balance disorders and latterly I was responsible for running an audiology service for adults with learning difficulties (to this date an area of work I miss).
However the day-to day role of an NHS Audiologist is to fit hearing aids. Now, the NHS do a fantastic job, BUT when it comes to hearing aids, it is “one size fits all”. The NHS hearing aids are the standard “Behind-the-ear” model, fitted on either an ear mould or a “slim tube”. It is the same hearing aid for everyone, and the technology is always at least 3 generations behind what is available privately. I began to feel a little disheartened, I wasn’t able to give my patients the aftercare they needed, and in terms of hearing aids, it isn’t “one size fits all” so when it came to the success of an NHS-fitted aid, if the patient was not getting on very well, there was no other choice other than to go private.
In 2005 I took myself back to college to sit my exams which enabled me to practice in a private capacity. Since then I have worked for 2 major High Street providers and gained experience in fitting the best hearing aid technology in the world. However in this environment we were increasingly pressured by the powers-that-be to hit sales targets and to get as many people through the door to test their hearing. Again, this is not how I want to work. My patients aren’t “targets”. My patients come to me because of my ability as an Audiologist.
To be able to work exactly how I want, having the ability to fit any manufacturer’s hearing aids, not just the ones we were tied into using and to be able to offer as much time and care for my patients, the only option was to set up independently.
As it so happened, Alan Jackson, with whom I have worked for over 10 years, was of the same mind-set. Alan is a fantastic Audiologist, he shares the same standards of care and works in a very similar manner to myself. We are always keen to help each other out and offer assistance on complex cases. In this profession you never stop learning and even after 30 years I always pick up new ideas from him. Put it this way, Alan is the only private Audiologist I would trust to look after my parents’ ears!
So, the Nottingham Hearing Practice was born out of this mutual desire to provide the best hearing care experience for all our patients.
Why are we any different to anyone else in Nottingham? Firstly because were are the most experienced…..we have over 45 years experience between us. Secondly we insist all our patients have free trials on their hearing aids first. With any other provider you have to pay up front for the aids, a not inconsiderable amount of money. You are assured a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied. However there will always be a little doubt in the back of someone’s mind
“what if…?”
Being able to offer free trials on any make, model or style (and more than one if we need, though generally we get it right first time) takes away that fear, and builds a huge amount of trust between us and our patients.
We will spend as much time as needed in the early days of fitting and offer as many rehabilitation sessions as needed. Again, the fitting of the aids is the more straight-forward part, it’s the aftercare and counselling that is equally if not more important.
When you see either Alan or myself you can be assured of the highest level of care you could hope to receive.”
(Content submitted by, and the opinion of a member. Not representative of BSHAA)