Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/health/charity-critical-of-nhs-services-for-deaf-1.1086248?localLinksEnabled=false
PEOPLE with hearing loss are not receiving all the support they need at NHS audiology departments, according to a report published today by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People Scotland.
The charity highlights a lack of deaf awareness among some staff, leaving a number of patients unhappy at the care they received.
Of patients surveyed, 45 per cent said they could not hear their name being called in the waiting room, while many reported that audiologists continued to speak to them after they had removed their hearing aid.
While most patients were given technical information about how to use their hearing aid, the vast majority of those surveyed said they were given no information about other support services, such as lip-reading classes and hard of hearing support groups, which could help them come to terms with their hearing loss.
Some 758,000 people in Scotland are deaf or hard of hearing and 160,000 have hearing aids, a total that is set to rise as the population ages.
Delia Henry, the director of RNID Scotland, said: “If someone can’t hear, they are very isolated. The psychological aspect is very often forgotten.
“What we want to see is more practical and emotional support; that is very important for people to get the most out of their hearing aids and give them a better quality of life.”
She acknowledged that audiology departments had limited resources, but said: “If we give people the right information and support at the right time, it should create lower demands on audiology in the long term.”
A total of 405 people gave their views on audiology services by answering a questionnaire or taking part in a focus group; eight out of 14 heads of audiology also responded as did voluntary organisations and hard of hearing groups.
The Scottish Government produced recommendations for audiology departments, Quality Standards for Adult Hearing Rehabilitation, in April 2009, but the report suggested these were not all being met.
While Quality Standards state that service users should receive information about the hearing test before their first appointment, only 11% of respondents said they did.
Quality Standards specify that patients should be given a follow-up appointment within 12 weeks of the initial consultation, but only 42% of survey respondents had had one.
Social services can provide information on technology such as telephone and doorbell adaptations, but only 10% of respondents said they received information about this.
Only three per cent were given information about hard of hearing support groups, four per cent about voluntary organisations and seven per cent about lipreading classes.
A third of respondents said they had tinnitus, but 84% had received no information about coping strategies from audiology services.
Audio induction loop systems help reduce background noise, so that hearing aid wearers can hear more clearly, but only two NHS boards said they had induction loops in consultation rooms.
The eight heads of audiology who responded said that their staff all received deaf awareness training and most said they sent patients information about the hearing test and about support services available to them.
Five said they always offered follow-up appointments, while two said they sometimes did.
RNID Scotland is calling for the use of new ways of summoning patients in waiting rooms.
These include steps such as LCD displays; regular, repeated deaf awareness training for staff; the Scottish Government to work with audiologists to improve overall information provision to patients, including local support services; and induction loops to be available in waiting and consultation rooms.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The Scottish Government, as a member of the Audiology Services Advisory Group, is working with key members of the group, including the RNID, to ensure that patients receive an effective and efficient audiology service across the NHS in Scotland.
“This report highlights areas where improvements can be made and we agree that this can only be achieved through good partnerships between the NHS, local authorities and other agencies.
PEOPLE with hearing loss are not receiving all the support they need at NHS audiology departments, according to a report published today by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People Scotland.
The charity highlights a lack of deaf awareness among some staff, leaving a number of patients unhappy at the care they received.
Of patients surveyed, 45 per cent said they could not hear their name being called in the waiting room, while many reported that audiologists continued to speak to them after they had removed their hearing aid.
While most patients were given technical information about how to use their hearing aid, the vast majority of those surveyed said they were given no information about other support services, such as lip-reading classes and hard of hearing support groups, which could help them come to terms with their hearing loss.
Some 758,000 people in Scotland are deaf or hard of hearing and 160,000 have hearing aids, a total that is set to rise as the population ages.
Delia Henry, the director of RNID Scotland, said: “If someone can’t hear, they are very isolated. The psychological aspect is very often forgotten.
“What we want to see is more practical and emotional support; that is very important for people to get the most out of their hearing aids and give them a better quality of life.”
She acknowledged that audiology departments had limited resources, but said: “If we give people the right information and support at the right time, it should create lower demands on audiology in the long term.”
A total of 405 people gave their views on audiology services by answering a questionnaire or taking part in a focus group; eight out of 14 heads of audiology also responded as did voluntary organisations and hard of hearing groups.
The Scottish Government produced recommendations for audiology departments, Quality Standards for Adult Hearing Rehabilitation, in April 2009, but the report suggested these were not all being met.
While Quality Standards state that service users should receive information about the hearing test before their first appointment, only 11% of respondents said they did.
Quality Standards specify that patients should be given a follow-up appointment within 12 weeks of the initial consultation, but only 42% of survey respondents had had one.
Social services can provide information on technology such as telephone and doorbell adaptations, but only 10% of respondents said they received information about this.
Only three per cent were given information about hard of hearing support groups, four per cent about voluntary organisations and seven per cent about lipreading classes.
A third of respondents said they had tinnitus, but 84% had received no information about coping strategies from audiology services.
Audio induction loop systems help reduce background noise, so that hearing aid wearers can hear more clearly, but only two NHS boards said they had induction loops in consultation rooms.
The eight heads of audiology who responded said that their staff all received deaf awareness training and most said they sent patients information about the hearing test and about support services available to them.
Five said they always offered follow-up appointments, while two said they sometimes did.
RNID Scotland is calling for the use of new ways of summoning patients in waiting rooms.
These include steps such as LCD displays; regular, repeated deaf awareness training for staff; the Scottish Government to work with audiologists to improve overall information provision to patients, including local support services; and induction loops to be available in waiting and consultation rooms.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The Scottish Government, as a member of the Audiology Services Advisory Group, is working with key members of the group, including the RNID, to ensure that patients receive an effective and efficient audiology service across the NHS in Scotland.
“This report highlights areas where improvements can be made and we agree that this can only be achieved through good partnerships between the NHS, local authorities and other agencies.