Dr James Jackson, Reader in Psychology at Leeds Trinity University, who specialises in the treatment of tinnitus, will host a training workshop for healthcare practitioners and audiologists interested in improving their knowledge and practice around tinnitus.

The workshop, titled ‘What to do for patients with tinnitus?’, will run at Leeds Trinity University’s Main Campus in Horsforth, on Saturday 29 June 2024. The aim is to improve treatment efficacy for tinnitus patients in West Yorkshire and beyond by empowering GPs, audiologists and other healthcare professionals to better serve patients.

Dr James Jackson said: “I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer this training, which is the result of a previous workshop I delivered that helped me to identify a demand in tinnitus-focused training for healthcare professionals.

“I have recently collected a lot of data about levels of dissatisfaction in tinnitus patients and the workshop will address that research as well as proposed solutions. With the NHS already under pressure, there are clear issues with the primary care pathway for patients with tinnitus. The current onus is on diagnostics and not on how best to cope with this distressing and chronic condition. This leads to perceived lack of support and increases mistrust across the healthcare profession. I hope to see many delegates from Leeds and West Yorkshire join us for the workshop to improve their understanding and treatment of tinnitus.”

The programme will include sessions ranging from addressing dissatisfaction in patients with tinnitus, to improving sleep quality, boosting referral networks and current tinnitus treatment pathways. Delegates will also benefit from a session on career development, qualifications and business practice and receive a free one-year subscription to Tinnibot, an effective and evidence-led tinnitus relief app. Dr James Jackson is a Clinical and Scientific Advisor for Hearing Power, the makers of Tinnibot.

A group of experts will be delivering the one-day workshop, providing a wide range of skills and areas of learning. Dr James Jackson will be joined by fellow Leeds Trinity University academics and Senior Lecturers in Psychology, Dr Jamie Cruickshank and Dr Alyshia Murgatroyd-Giffen, as well as Consultant Audiologist and Hearing Therapist, Henrietta Roe, who has 7 years of NHS experience and 10 years of private practice experience on Harley Street. Since 2021, she has run her own audiology clinic on Harley Street, specialising in difficult hearing issues.

Henrietta Roe said: “The incidence of tinnitus has increased significantly as a consequence of endemic noise pollution in our physical environment and an ever more stressful social environment. As a result, more and more people are going to audiology clinics for hearing issues beyond the basic need for a hearing aid to treat hearing loss.

“Because of this, we need to increase the knowledge and expertise that exists within the audiology profession by focussing on how we treat hearing issues, including tinnitus, which is why delivering this workshop and raising awareness is so important. My objective is to help audiologists better provide advice and treatment to their patients who present with hearing issues.”

The workshop will run from 9.00am to 4.00pm. Employers and healthcare practitioners interested in joining the training can do so by booking their place via the Leeds Trinity University online store.