Cheryl Gillan MP: Help for the hard of hearing

Jan 5 2012 by Lawrence Poole, Buckinghamshire Advertiser

HAVING a personal interest in audiology – my husband is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids – I was interested to talk to a representative of the Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire NHS Cluster, about the services which they offer to people with hearing impairment.

Their service covers any age group, from the newborn to older people. Thus there is a mix of provision, from the community based to the care which is delivered in acute hospitals.

Audiologists and hearing therapists look after more than half a million people across the county. In addition to the clinics at the Amersham and Wycombe Hospitals (and other general hospitals throughout Buckinghamshire), there are also clinics in smaller hospitals and one is held at Penn School.

Through personal experience I know how much a loss of hearing can affect everyday life and also how much benefit the careful diagnosis and treatment of this condition can bring to the people involved.

The service covers not only hearing impairment but also treatment for people who have dizziness and balance problems. These can have a profound effect on a person’s everyday life, but not everyone may know that these can be treated by specialist hearing therapists.

There is a comprehensive network of services interlinked from the time that a patient goes to the GP and this involves the expert help that organisations like those from the ‘third sector’ – the voluntary organisations and charities – can also provide.

People experiencing hearing loss can often feel that their independence is threatened. It affects all aspects of daily life and there is a great deal of easily-accessible help available for people in this situation.

Knowing how isolated people can feel if their hearing is going, I am grateful for the chance to talk about the provision of these services at present and in the future and to be able to remind everyone of the range of treatment, therapies and advice that is available to anyone who needs it.