DIGITAL HEARING AIDS AVAILABLE TO ALL BY APRIL 2005

7 Feb 2003 04:00 AM

£94 million funding to modernise hearing aid services nationwide

Tens of thousands of people who are deaf or hard of hearing will be entitled to the very latest digital hearing aids free on the NHS, as part of a £94 million programme to modernise hearing aid services throughout England, announced by Alan Milburn, Health Secretary, today.

1.8 million people currently use hearing aids in England, including 18, 000 children, who stand to benefit from this programme. By April 2005 the very latest digital hearing aids will be available across the country, for people who can benefit from them.

Digital hearing aids can process sound in ways not possible with the old analogue circuit aids. Sound levels can be tailored to suit the individual. Feedback and background noise can be minimised. The digital hearing aid can be adjusted for different sound environments. The widespread introduction of digital hearing aids provides a device that improves hearing and means staff can assess and more accurately fit the right device for each patient.

In April 2000 the Government began making digital hearing aids available on the NHS for the first time. From April 2003, almost a third of NHS audiology departments will be providing digital hearing aids. Today's announcement means that by April 2005, digital hearing aids will be available in every hearing aid service throughout England. These digital hearing aids cost the NHS up to £75 per aid and will be free to all NHS patients. Similar products currently cost people purchasing privately around £2,000.

Announcing the extension of digital hearing aid services nationwide, Alan Milburn said:
"The sustained investment we are now making in the NHS means that we can extend the availability of digital hearing aids across the country. The result is better services for deaf people and those who are hard of hearing.

"This is just the latest example of where investment coupled to reform of how services are delivered, can bring real benefits for patients. By keeping up the investment and putting in the reforms, we are making steady progress towards the modern health service our nation needs."

The Department of Health is working in partnership with RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) to introduce the changes in all parts of the country. At the same time the Department is looking at different ways of making it easier and quicker for deaf and hard of hearing people to get access to the modernised digital service. Roll-out plans include boosting NHS capacity and improving access for patients by providing more hearing aid services on the high street, through extended public private partnerships.

John Low, Chief executive of RNID welcomed the announcement, saying: "This is brilliant news for millions of deaf and hard of hearing people who have been demanding better hearing aids for many years. At last there will be a world class NHS hearing aid service throughout England.

"The modernised audiology service will be based on digital hearing aid technology, which transforms the lives of people with hearing difficulties. Digital hearing aids offer an immensely better clarity of hearing, not possible with traditional aids. Research shows that digital hearing aids offer patients a '40% improvement in hearing and quality of life."

The RNID Project Management team is now writing to all services in England who are not yet involved in the project, outlining plans for rollout and inviting applicants to join the modernisation programme in 2003/04 and 2004/05.

Notes to Editors
1. The MHAS programme is funded by the Department of Health and managed by RNID and aims to modernise NHS audiology services across England. MHAS is about improving patient services, as well as making the latest hearing aid technology available on the NHS.

The Government made an announcement in January 2000 committing funding to 20 NHS Trusts. Audiology departments from the first wave of the MHAS programme started fitting digital hearing aids (DHA) from September 2000. Those 20 in the first wave are all at the stage where they are fitting DHAs.

A second announcement, which committed funds to another 29 NHS Trusts, was made on 10 April 2002. Ten of those in the second wave are already fitting DHAs and the rest are due to be fitting DHAs from the end of March 2003.

A third announcement of funding for a further 17 NHS Trusts was made on 22 November 2002. These are being equipped and trained to start fitting digital hearing aids from about April 2003.

2. The sites marked * will begin providing digital hearing aids by April 2003.

All the rest are either already providing digital hearing aids or will begin to do so before the end of March.

1 Addenbroke's NHS Trust
2 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust
3 Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust *
4 Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Trust
5 Birmingham Heartlands Hospital NHS Trust *
6 Bolton Primary Care NHS Trust
7 Bournemouth Primary Care Trust
8 Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust
9 Brighton Health Care NHS Trust
10 Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust
11 Central Manchester PCT *
12 City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust
13 Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Trust
14 Croydon NHS PCT
15 East Cheshire NHS Trust
16 East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust
17 Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust
18 George Elliot Hospital NHS Trust
19 Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust
20 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust
21 Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust *
22 James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust
23 Leeds Teaching NHS Trust
24 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust *
25 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust
26 Mid Cheshire Healthcare NHS Trust
27 Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust
28 North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust*
29 North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust
30 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust *
31 Northern Devon NHS Healthcare Trust
32 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust *
33 Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust
34 Queens Medical Centre Nottingham University NHS Trust 35 Rochdale NHS Trust
36 Royal Berkshire And Battle Hospitals NHS Trust
37 Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
38 Royal Devon and Exeter Healthcare NHS Trust
39 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust (same as RNTNE)
40 Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust 41 Royal Shrewsbury & Princess Royal Hospitals
42 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust
43 Salford Primary Care NHS Trust
44 Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust *
45 Sheffield Children's Hospital NHS Trust
46 Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust *
47 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust
48 South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust *
49 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust
50 Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals NHS Trust *
51 St Helens & Knowsley Hospital NHS Trust *
52 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust *
53 Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust *
54 Tameside and Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust *
55 The Royal National Throat, Nose & Ear Hospital (same as Royal Free)
56 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust
57 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust (Child)
58 University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust
59 University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
60 West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust
61 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust *
62 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust
63 Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust
64 Windsor & Maidenhead PCT
65 Wirral Hospital NHS Trust
66 Wolverhampton Health Care NHS Trust
67 Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust

3. RNID is the largest charity representing the needs of nine million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK. As a membership charity, RNID aims to achieve a radically better quality of life for deaf and hard of hearing people by campaigning and lobbying vigorously, by raising awareness of deafness and hearing loss, by providing services and through social, medical and technical research. For more information about RNID and to get the RNID media release about this announcement, visit www.rnid.org.uk.

ENDS