APPOINTMENTS TO THE HEARING AID COUNCIL

4 Dec 2003 10:45 AM

Gerry Sutcliffe, Minister for Employment Relations, Consumers and Competition, announced the re-appointment of four members to the Hearing Aid Council today.

The members are: Tony Corcoran, John Irwin, Peter Ormerod and Huw Thomas. Their appointments will run until 31st December 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe said:

"It is important that organisations like the Hearing Aid Council have a strong membership that is able to effectively represent the views and concerns of consumers. These individuals have provided a firm commitment over the past three years to furthering the aims and goals of the HAC and I am delighted that they have agreed to serve the interests of Hearing Aid users for a further three years."

Note for Editors

1. The HAC is the statutory body for hearing aid dispensers and their employers. The Council sets the Standard of Competence for dispensers and regulates dispensers' trade practices. The Council has 12 members evenly divided between three groups: trade, medical/technical and consumer. It also has a Chairman, currently Christopher Hughes, who is independent of these three groups. Members are appointed by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and receive a daily attendance fee and expenses for carrying out HAC business.

None of the four appointees have been involved in any political activity in the past five years.

Biographical Details

Tony Corcoran (Medical Member)

Tony Corcoran has been a Clinical Audiologist with Bournemouth Primary Care Trust since 2001. He is currently Head of the Audiology Service. He previously worked in other departments of the Health Service and abroad. Tony has been Project Audiologist with the Commonwealth Society for the Deaf in Botswana and a Staff Audiologist with Southampton University. He obtained an MSc in Audiology in 1975. He lives in Bournemouth.

John Irwin (Medical Member)

Dr John Irwin is a Consultant Audiological Physician at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. He worked in the audiology field as a consultant for the past 15 years. John obtained an MSc in Clinical Audiology form the University of Manchester in 1977. He was a member of the Specialist Advisory Committee for Audiological Medicine between 1992-1994 and has been a member of this body since 1999. He is a founder member of the Tayside Audiology Working Group. He lives in Strathkinness, Scotland.

Huw Thomas (Consumer Member)

Huw Thomas is a Director of a Management Consultancy company based in North Wales. Previous posts have been as Chief Executive for Denbighshire and Gwynedd County Councils and Director for Wales with the Department of Employment. Currently RNID National Trustee for Wales, he is hearing impaired and dependant on hearing aids and is keen to ensure that dispensers provide the best possible service and advice to consumers. He holds one other Public Appointment, as a Commissioner reviewing the Powers & Electoral Arrangements of the National Assembly for Wales. Mr Thomas lives in Colwyn Bay, Wales.

Peter Ormerod (Dispenser Member)

Peter Ormerod is managing director of David Ormerod Hearing Centres Ltd. His father founded the company in 1961 and today it turns over in excess of £15 million per annum. With Head Office located in Llandudno, North Wales, following the recent acquisition of Boots Hearingcare, the company now operates from over 100 centres, including 64 Boots High Street stores and 19 NHS hospital trusts across the UK.

Peter, actively dispensing in the business until two years ago, now manages the day-to-day running of an expanding business. Peter sits on the HAC's Examining Body and Disciplinary Committee.

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(for those with hearing impairment)
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