The impact of the RNID on auditory services in England: Borrowing lawnmowers and the price of salt

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID), a major UK third sector organisation, on public sector provision. The case examined is that of auditory services (in effect the nature of assessment and provision of hearing aids in England).

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is that of a case study of the actions and approach of the RNID and their engagement with the public sector, in particular with the UK National Health Service.

Findings

The case study shows the very considerable impact, which the RNID had in effecting a dramatic improvement in the quality of the service offered through the move to digital hearing aids and through the improvement of the audiology services themselves. The RNID, through using its expertise, also succeeded in achieving a huge reduction in the unit cost of digital hearing aids. A value chain approach is utilised to examine the effect of the RNID.

Research limitations/implications

The case study furnishes an account of impact on a national level in a key service. It shows how a third sector organisation can use expertise to leverage impact using public sector resources. It shows that even with very large government purchases a key factor is specific knowledge, which if possessed by a third sector organisations, can be used to major effect.

Originality/value

The case study demonstrates impact and the effective operation of a cross‐sectoral partnership. One of the authors (Lamb) is closely involved from the organisational perspective.

Citation

Murdock, A. and Lamb, B. (2009), "The impact of the RNID on auditory services in England: Borrowing lawnmowers and the price of salt", Social Enterprise Journal, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 141-153. https://doi.org/10.1108/17508610910981725