Miss-Delectable
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http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1929722005
PATIENTS are having to wait up to three years to get an NHS hearing aid, according to a new report.
The British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists said the average wait had gone up by seven weeks in the past year, despite government attempts to cut queues.
The study found that four out of ten Scottish hospitals have waiting lists above the UK average of 47 weeks. Patients in Edinburgh wait for up to two years, while in towns such as Oban the wait is two months from the initial appointment.
Some 41 per cent of UK hospitals had seen their lists lengthen, with an increase in 62 per cent of Scottish hospitals, a quarter of those in Northern Ireland and a fifth of those in Wales. The increases are due to a lack of hearing experts and a large demand for new, more effective, digital models.
The society's president, Karen Finch, said: "Hospitals are short of audiologists and demand has soared since the introduction of digital hearing aids. Until clinics deal with new patients, there seems little hope for individuals who already have an analogue hearing aid and want to upgrade to digital.
"We have heard of patients being told it will be six years before they can be seen. What is frustrating for our industry is that there are hundreds of qualified professionals available in the private sector who are currently being ignored. They could help reduce these long waiting times."
The Royal National Institute for the Deaf said more private providers should be used.
Dr John Low, the chief executive of RNID, said: "People have been waiting far too long to get a hearing aid and something has to be done about it.
"If you don't hear very well, it's difficult to function. The evidence is very clear that it reduces the quality of your life, you don't feel so well, often your mental health is affected and your ability to live on your own is reduced.
"The cost of an aid well-fitted is less than a night's stay in hospital. Why are we wasting resources patching on to the problem rather than dealing with the core problem?"
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health admitted that some patients were having to wait too long.
She said: "We are working closely with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf to make sure that patients have a much more streamlined process if they do need a digital hearing aid."
About 730,000 adults in Scotland suffer from hearing impairment and this is expected to increase as the population ages.
PATIENTS are having to wait up to three years to get an NHS hearing aid, according to a new report.
The British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists said the average wait had gone up by seven weeks in the past year, despite government attempts to cut queues.
The study found that four out of ten Scottish hospitals have waiting lists above the UK average of 47 weeks. Patients in Edinburgh wait for up to two years, while in towns such as Oban the wait is two months from the initial appointment.
Some 41 per cent of UK hospitals had seen their lists lengthen, with an increase in 62 per cent of Scottish hospitals, a quarter of those in Northern Ireland and a fifth of those in Wales. The increases are due to a lack of hearing experts and a large demand for new, more effective, digital models.
The society's president, Karen Finch, said: "Hospitals are short of audiologists and demand has soared since the introduction of digital hearing aids. Until clinics deal with new patients, there seems little hope for individuals who already have an analogue hearing aid and want to upgrade to digital.
"We have heard of patients being told it will be six years before they can be seen. What is frustrating for our industry is that there are hundreds of qualified professionals available in the private sector who are currently being ignored. They could help reduce these long waiting times."
The Royal National Institute for the Deaf said more private providers should be used.
Dr John Low, the chief executive of RNID, said: "People have been waiting far too long to get a hearing aid and something has to be done about it.
"If you don't hear very well, it's difficult to function. The evidence is very clear that it reduces the quality of your life, you don't feel so well, often your mental health is affected and your ability to live on your own is reduced.
"The cost of an aid well-fitted is less than a night's stay in hospital. Why are we wasting resources patching on to the problem rather than dealing with the core problem?"
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health admitted that some patients were having to wait too long.
She said: "We are working closely with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf to make sure that patients have a much more streamlined process if they do need a digital hearing aid."
About 730,000 adults in Scotland suffer from hearing impairment and this is expected to increase as the population ages.