CPD webinar helps audiology professionals embed sustainability into everyday clinical practice
Audiology professionals across the UK and Ireland are invited to join a new online CPD webinar exploring how sustainability can be integrated into hearing care - without compromising clinical outcomes.
Taking place 08:25-09:00 BST on Wednesday 10 June 2026, “Hearing for the Future: Sustainability in Practice” is thought to be the first ever CPD session focusing on sustainability aimed specifically at Audiology clinicians and brings together expertise from Helen Curran, Head of Sustainability at Specsavers, and Bethany Dean, Specsavers’ Clinical Performance Consultant for Scotland and the North.
Says Bethany: ‘The CPD session is open to all Audiology clinicians irrespective of where they work offers a timely opportunity for audiology professionals to understand the growing relevance of sustainability and to take away practical steps that enhance both patient care and environmental responsibility.’
Adds Helen: ‘We’ll focus on translating sustainability from strategy into real-world clinical action — giving practitioners practical, evidence-informed ways to reduce waste, improve patient outcomes, and support long-term service sustainability. The session will explore how sustainability is increasingly recognised as a core component of healthcare quality — linking climate change to health outcomes, including emerging evidence around ear health, air pollution, and service demand.’
The CPD session also places audiology within the broader healthcare sustainability agenda. Healthcare is estimated to contribute nearly 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, placing a growing responsibility on clinicians and providers to consider environmental impact alongside patient care.
Moving beyond high-level commitments, the session will focus on what sustainability looks like in day-to-day audiology practice, including:
- Where waste most commonly occurs in hearing care pathways — including returns, repairs, battery use, and repeat appointments
- How clinical decisions can reduce unnecessary interventions while maintaining care standards
- The role of prevention, patient education, and right-first-time care in improving both outcomes and efficiency
- How sustainability is already being embedded into clinical guidance, with examples such as updated ENT UK recommendations to reduce single-use waste safely through revised microsuction practices.
With the NHS targeting Net Zero by 2045 and the HSE decarbonisation plan for Ireland (2050), and a significant proportion of healthcare emissions linked to suppliers and service delivery, the sector has a key role to play in achieving system-wide goals.
Specsavers hosts open access CPD webinars online every month focusing on a different topic related to improving clinical practice, patient care and sector collaboration and engagement. Any Audiology clinician working in the UK and Ireland can register here: www.specsaversevents.co.uk/audiologywebinars/general/home.asp