The Hunter Family Practice in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, has taken on some key industry players to scoop not one but two prestigious awards at the Management in Practice Awards 2008. The GP Practice fought-off stiff competition to win the Customer Care and Innovation in Training Awards, at this year's ceremony.

The Hunter Family Practice recently became the first GP Practice in the UK to achieve RNID's (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) prestigious Louder than Words charter mark for providing a high level of deaf-aware services for deaf and hard of hearing staff and customers, an achievement that set them in good stead with the judges.

Lorraine Hughes, Practice Manager of The Hunter Family Practice, says: "For all our efforts we have won these prestigious awards for excellent customer care and innovation in our training, and we are very proud indeed."

Brian Symington, Director of RNID Northern Ireland says: "The 219,000 people in Northern Ireland who are deaf or hard of hearing, can expect a very warm welcome from this award winning GP Practice. RNID Northern Ireland is thrilled to have worked with The Hunter Family Practice in opening its doors to even more deaf and hard of hearing people and it is fantastic that visitors and staff alike will feel the benefit of the training and improved access to their services and work premises."

RNID offers the Louder than Words charter mark so that deaf or hard of hearing people have equal access to work opportunities and the same levels of service as everyone else. RNID works to ensure that all changes are inexpensive, cost effective, appropriate and easy to implement.

1. A survey conducted by the Institute of Employment Studies commissioned by the Employers Forum on Disability in 1999 estimates the spending power of people with disabilities in the UK to be £50 billion a year.

2. RNID Northern Ireland is the largest charity changing the world for the 219,000 deaf and hard of hearing people in Northern Ireland. We do this with the help of our members by campaigning and lobbying, raising awareness of deafness and hearing loss, providing services and through social, medical and technical research.

3. The Hunter Family Practice can be found at Brownlow Health and & Social Services Centre, 1 Legahory Centre, Craigavon, BT655BE.

For more information about RNID visit rnid.

RNID is proud to be The Co-operative Charity of the Year for 2009. As part of the partnership we are encouraging everyone to check their hearing - go to rnid/hearingmatters.

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People. Registered Address 19 - 23 Featherstone Street, London EC1Y 8SL. A company limited by guarantee in England and Wales Number 454169. Registered charity Numbers 207720 (England and Wales) and SC038926 (RNID Scotland).

Royal National Institute for Deaf People