Lauren Mumford, Paediatric Audiologist, Leicestershire Partnership Trust, UK.
Coventry was a great location for the annual British Academy of Audiology conference, with audiology professionals travelling from near and far... even jet-setting speakers from Australia. We were warmly welcomed by President Dr Samantha Lear and the exhibitors were keen to engage in conversation.
The keynote lecture by Dr Angela Alexander was a glittering presentation: she dazzled the delegates with her talk – 'The future of audiology is the brain’ – and outfit! Dr Barbra Timmer, President of Audiology Australia, was keen to share her passion for ‘Hearing rehabilitation outcomes: our role in addressing well-being, stigma and adapting audiology services’. Her thought-provoking talk will improve clinicians’ practices when they return to their workplace.
Throughout the conference, the interaction technology Slido allowed the moderators to quick-fire questions from the audience, clear evidence of the engagement within the room as everyone was hooked for more information.
For me, the highlight was the Banford Lecture by Claire Benton, Head of Audiology at Nottingham. Her talk, ‘UK paediatric audiology: climbing out of a mountain or out of a hole?’, was an awakening to the current professional situation. ‘Change is hard – but achievable,’ she said, which only motivated everyone to absorb the learning from conference all the more.
A particular bonus from the conference was the demonstration of the BAA Quality Improvement Tool, undoubtedly a benefit for services, with handy guides and examples to develop processes.
Finally, cheers were heard from afar as our esteemed colleagues took to the stage for the annual awards ceremony. It’s clear from the nominations, we have many highly regarded colleagues that have gone above and beyond with their work for service users and the profession. What an inspiring conference, sharing best practice and developments in a welcoming atmosphere for learning and networking.
Watch out for the conference registration opening for the 20th event in Telford 2024. Not to be missed!
