A Western Australian audiology team has won a WA Department of Health excellence award for its innovative project which reduced ear, nose and throat (ENT) waiting list times across three hospitals.
The Audiology Advanced Scope Practitioner Project received the 2025 WA Health Excellence Awards Excellence in Sustainability award.
The project introduced a model that empowered senior audiologists to independently manage suitable ENT patients such as those with otitis media under approved protocols at public hospitals – Fiona Stanley Hospital, Royal Perth Hospital and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
This reduced ENT waitlists, improved access to care, and used health resources sustainably by allowing audiologists to perform initial assessments, triage, and even some management tasks previously done only by ENT specialists.
The project aligned with global trends in advanced allied health roles to tackle healthcare backlogs, proving successful in improving efficiency and patient outcomes.
The WA Health Department awarded 10 team or project awards that celebrated excellence and innovation in service delivery across the WA health system by individuals and teams “who made remarkable contributions to the system and embodied a commitment to excellence in health care and willingness to improve health outcomes for the community”.
The sustainability award, sponsored by Murdoch University, recognised projects that delivered high-value health care. These included delivering outcomes focused, value-oriented health care, ensuring the best possible outcomes to patients for the lowest possible cost, providing high-value health care through reduction of waste, inefficiency, and/or unnecessary procedures, and addressing health services’ economic, environmental, and social sustainability.
Finalists and winners were celebrated at a gala awards dinner on 25 November 2025.
Those attending included audiologist, and hearing implant and balance specialist Associate Professor Dayse Távora–Vieira from Fiona Stanley Hospital. A/Prof Távora–Vieira is Head State-Wide Audiology, Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group, Royal Perth Hospital and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
Rewarding to see impact
A/Prof Távora–Vieira said she was “incredibly proud” that the audiology team was recognised with this award.
“This achievement goes far beyond an award,” she said. “It represents meaningful, sometimes life-changing outcomes for our patients.
“Through this project, we’ve been able to provide care to patients who had been on the waitlist for many years. Seeing these individuals finally receive the assessment and support they have been waiting for has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this journey.”
A/Prof Távora–Vieira said what made the achievement even more special was who had earned it.
The winning audiology team: Image: East Metropolitan Health Service.
“We are one of the smallest teams across three large tertiary hospitals, but every single day, this team shows that size has nothing to do with impact,” she said. “Their dedication, professionalism, compassion, and relentless commitment to excellence in patient care are second to none.”
From navigating complex clinical demands to innovating new ways to support patients and the community, the team continuously strived to do better, to elevate care, and to support one another, she said.
“Their work is thoughtful and grounded in genuine patient-centred values,” she said.
“And we could not have achieved this alone. Many ENT doctors, nurses, and allied health colleagues have been essential partners throughout this work.
“Their support, collaboration, and belief in the value of this pathway were critical in helping us deliver better, sustainable care for our community. This award reflects the collective spirit behind the project: teamwork, resilience, and a shared commitment to doing what’s right for our patients.”
She said she was honoured to work alongside “such extraordinary people” who chose excellence every day.
Read more about the winners here.
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