News Archive
Refunds and statutory rights – guidance note
August 3rd, 2008
The Office of Fair Trading has written to a number of dispensing companies. This note summarises some of the key points made in those letters.
Legislation to abolish the HAC gets Royal assent
July 22nd, 2008
The transfer to the HPC came another step closer when the first of two pieces of legislation that will effect the transfer received Royal assent. To read more about this please click here.
De Montford University foundation degree approved
July 22nd, 2008
Graduates from approved degrees are automatically eligible to join our register. To read more about foundation degrees please click here.
2008(1) resit exam results
July 22nd, 2008
The 2008(1) resit exam results are available for download here.
HAC and HPC launch joint consultation on standards and qualification entry level for HPC register
July 16th, 2008
Together with the HPC, we are consulting on the clinical standards dispensers will have to meet when they are regulated by the Health Professions Council. We are also consulting on the minimum level of education new dispensers will need to join the HPC register.
To read the consultation, please click here.
To read a press release about the consultation, please click here.
Notice to supervisors and Pre-Registered Dispensers
July 14th, 2008
The Hearing Aid Council is undertaking its audit of logbooks as required under Section 4(g) of the Standards of Competence. A random selection of people have been asked to submit their logbooks for inspection. Any questions please contact the Hearing Aid Council on 020 3102 4030.
Anglia Ruskin University’s foundation degree now approved.
July 11th, 2008
Graduates from approved degrees are automatically eligible to join our register. To read more about foundation degrees please click here.
HAC Exams - OSPE Re-Sits
July 4th, 2008
Please be aware that there will be one re-sit session for all registered re-sit candidates.
This will be:
Monday 14th July 2008
at 10.30 am
Admission letters have been posted, however if you have not received them by Monday 11th July, please contact 0845 196 3205 for a duplicate.
Council publishes list of dispensers and companies who left the register in 2007-8
June 30th, 2008
Companies and dispensers leave the register for a number of reasons; for instance, one company may merge with another or a dispenser may retire. In some cases, the Council also erases registrants who have breached its standards. To read a list of everyone who left the Council register in 2007-8, please click here.
OSPE 11
June 27th, 2008
The criteria for marking candidate performance on the OSPE 11 are available here and from the OSPE exam marking criteria and instructions page.
HAC approves new degree
June 24th, 2008
The University of Bristol’s BSc in Audiology is now an HAC approved degree. To read more about approved degrees, click here.
2008 (1) Exam Results
June 17th, 2008
The exam results for the 2008 (1) examinations can be downloaded here or from the exams page.
Sandra Verkuyten awarded OBE
June 16th, 2008
Sandra Verkuyten, the Chief Executive of the HAC, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 2008 Birthday Honours list for her services to Healthcare and the community in London and Essex. Chris Hughes, HAC Chairman announced on hearing the news: “This Honour is exceptionally well deserved for Sandra’s years of service to healthcare in some of the Britain’s most deprived communities. I would like to congratulate Sandra on behalf of everyone at the Council”. Please click here for more info.
Notice to all exam candidates
June 9th, 2008
The 2008 (1) exam results will go in the post on Monday 16th June and on the HAC website on the 17th June. To access the results on the website all candidates will need their exam candidate number.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the process to sit the practical re-sits has changed slightly for this round of exams.
If someone wishes to re-sit the practical exam they must complete the 2008 (1) resit application form. This application needs to be received in the HAC office by either post, fax or email by 4pm 23rd June and the payment and photos must be received by 4pm 30th June.
If someone wishes to re-sit the theory exam they must complete the 2008 (2) application form This form needs to be returned with the appropriate payment to the HAC by 4pm 8th August.
If someone wishes to resit both the theory and practical they need to complete both of the forms above and return them to the office by the appropriate date, you can no longer just complete one form.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the office.
House of Lords moves transfer to HPC a step closer
May 15th, 2008
On May 14th, the Government successfully moved the amendments to the Health and Social Care bill that set up our transfer to the Health Professions Council. The amendments were moved by Lord Darzi of Denham, Minister of Health, in the House of Lords. Lord Darzi stated that the Government intends to transfer responsibilities to the HPC in April 2009 and commended the HAC for its good and hard work over the years in protecting consumers. To read a short transcript of the meeting, please click here or you can watch a video of it here and fast forward to 3 hours 43 minutes in to the film.
New exam dates announced 2008 (2)
April 29th, 2008
To read more click here.
HAC welcomes legislation as a vital step towards to the HPC
April 24th, 2008
To read more click here.
Notice to all dispensers & employers: Second Formal Notice of Non Payment of Retention Fee
April 23rd, 2008
We have sent out the second formal notice of non payment of retention fee to all individuals and employers who have not paid the fee for the year 1st April 2008 to 31st March 2009. Anyone who has not paid their retention fee should make a payment on or before 4pm on 15th May 2008.
If payment is not received, further action will be taken in line with clause 11 of the Registration Rules [2007] to strike relevant names from the Register.
Individuals removed in this way:
- Will be committing a criminal offence if they dispense or are involved in dispensing hearing aids;
- Will not be eligible for automatic registration with our successor body, the Health Professions Council; and
- Will need to appear before, and pay costs in relation to, the Disciplinary Committee if they wish to be re-admitted to the Register.
Employers removed in this way:
- Will be committing a criminal offence if they employ a Registered Hearing Aid Dispenser; and
- Restoration to the Register will require approval by the Council’s Disciplinary Committee, and will be required to meet the costs involved in this and any outstanding retention fees
You can view the documents sent out here:
2nd Formal Notice - Individuals
2nd Formal Notice - Employers
Dispensers will need to register with ISA
April 23rd, 2008
From October 2009, dispensers will be required to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority or they could be breaking the law. You can read more here.
Notice to All Dispensers: Retention Form
March 20th, 2008
We are currently in the process of registration for 2008/09. All employers and dispensers should have received their retention forms by now. If you have not received your form please contact the HAC office immediately so one can be sent out to you.
Thank you for your co-operation.
RETENTION FEES DUE - 1st APRIL 2008
March 3rd, 2008
We are currently preparing to send out letters to all individuals and employers on the HAC register requesting the retention fee for the year 1st April 2008 to 31st March 2009.
You can view the documentation being sent out to you:
Chairman’s letter
Registrar letter
Employer Retention Letter 0809
Employers retention form 0809
Organisation Checklist 2008-09
Individual retention letter 0809
Individual retention form 0809
RHAD’s Checklist 2008-09
The HAC administrative team would like to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible for the benefit of all registrants. Therefore we ask the following:
- Please read the documentation carefully
- Ensure you return all the required documentation – last year we returned 5% of documents, significantly adding to the administrative costs to the HAC
- Please do not telephone the HAC as this will take staff away from processing your registration
- Please keep an eye on the website for any updates and progress reports
Thank you very much for your cooperation with this.
Aston University foundation degree approved
March 3rd, 2008
We are pleased to announce that Aston University’s foundation degree has been approved. Graduates from approved degrees are automatically eligible to join our register. To read more about approved degrees click here and to read more about foundation degrees click here.
New OSPE candidate guidance published
February 26th, 2008
The Council has published new candidate guidance for the OSPE exams. This will apply from 2008 (1) onwards until further notice. To read the new guidance please click here.
Peter Ince joins the Hearing Aid Council
February 22nd, 2008
The Secretary of State has announced that Peter Ince is join the Hearing Aid Council as its latest member. There was a vacancy for a member representing registered dispensers following the departure of Maryanne Maltby.
2008-9 retention fee approved by Secretary of State
February 22nd, 2008
To read about the retention fee please click here.
New code to support foundation degree and more
February 20th, 2008
Following our recent consultation, the Council is publishing a revised Code of Practice. Changes have been made to support the new foundation degree and to enable us to register dispensers who qualify under the Recognition of Professional Qualifications directive 2005/36/EU. You can download the new code here and read about how the changes affect education institutes, trainees and their employers here.
Council decisions bulletin published
February 13th, 2008
To read about the key decisions made by Council at its January meeting about the retention fee for next year and the future of the Council exams, please click here.
Closing date for 2008(1) re-sit applications
January 30th, 2008
The closing date for 2008(1) re-sit applications is 4pm on 23rd June 2008. You must complete an application form for this re-sit, a letter will not be acceptable. You can find the application form here. You may send the application form by post, fax or email. Applications received after 23rd June 2008 will not be accepted.
You may submit payment for the re-sit with the application, however, due to the short space of time between the publication of 2008(1) full results and this closing date, payments will be accepted to follow applications up until 4pm on 30th June. If an application is received by 23rd June, as required, without payment and payment does not follow by 4pm on 30th June, you will be withdrawn from the exam.
2008 (2) exams will be the final HAC exams
January 17th, 2008
The Council has decided that the last HAC exams will take place in 2008 (2). If you would like to sit these exams then you must be a notified trainee before the 31st March 2008 then apply for the exam before the closing date which we will publish shortly on our website. If you become a notified trainee after the end of March 2008 then you will have to graduate from an approved degree to join our register. If you would like to sit the 2008 (2) exams then please be aware that if you do not pass then you will not get another chance to take the exams. You will have to pass an approved degree to join our register instead. We currently approve foundation degrees, BSc and MSc degrees. To enable as many candidates to pass the 2008 (2) exam as possible we will add a theory resit so you will have two chances in 2008 (2) to pass both the written and the practical exams. We may have to increase the examination fee in 2008 (2) to cover the cost of the exams and you should consider this when deciding whether to sit or not. Please note that you must pay for every exam you sit, including resits.
The foundation degree will become the new minimum education standard to join our register and the Health Professions Council has stated that they will apply the same standard so students on approved degree courses will be eligible for both registers. The foundation degree will help raise standards, improve the credibility of the sector, breakdown barriers between the public and private sectors and help smooth the transfer to the Health Professions Council.
Chief Examiner’s 2007 (2) Theory report published
January 8th, 2008
The Chief Examiner’s report on the last theory exam is now available. The report for the OSPEs will be available shortly. You can read the report here.