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Waiting times for hearing aids

Posted By Leogb90

"Waiting times for hearing aids"

About: NHS Grampian Woodend Hospital / Ear, nose, throat, head & neck surgery outpatients

(as a relative),

My grandfather who has a blue badge due to poor eyesight, has been on the waiting list for hearing aids since October 2021.  The moulds were taken then and at the time he was told it would be about six weeks to wait to get them fitted.  Today (May 2022) he was told that he should hopefully get an appointment within the next month or so.  

Working in the NHS myself, I understand the role of waiting times, and how the service has been impacted over the pandemic.  However I find it appalling that my grandfather has spent the last 8 months increasingly feeling isolated due to not only being unable to see, but also unable to hear as he waits for life changing and improving equipment.

I also question the length of time between moulds getting taken to getting the hearing aids fitted.  I know other services have made use of agency/private staff to help mitigate demands on service, why isn't this being used for services that give people one of their senses back?

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Responses

Response from Mark Mitchell, Head of Audiology Services, Surgery 1, Division of Surgery, NHS Grampian 2 years ago
We are preparing to make a change
Mark Mitchell
Head of Audiology Services, Surgery 1, Division of Surgery,
NHS Grampian

Submitted on 10/06/2022 at 13:56
Published on Care Opinion at 14:58

Hi Leoqb90.

I would be grateful if you could contact me on 01224 556490 so I can receive your grandfather's details and review his case. If I do not respond, please leave your contact details. The impact of Covid has been severe within our department leading to increased waiting times and short-notice cancellation of clinics owing to unexpected staff absence. Despite this, we do try and prioritise patients in certain events, e.g. severity of hearing loss, additional cognitive ailments etc.

We have been trying to recruit additional locum staff for almost a year without success... until recently. There is a national workforce shortage of Audiologists including locums who are tending to practice in other countries, or have transferred into full-time NHS employment when their services were not utilised during the initial periods of lockdown.

We now have a new locum Audiologist for at least 6 months and are hopeful of securing a second in early August which should lead to an improvement in our waiting times. We commenced face-to-face clinics from around August 2020 and have strived to deliver services in the most trying of circumstances.

We recognise the negative influence of untreated hearing loss and the waiting times are as much a frustration for staff as well as patients. I hope you will contact me so I can review your grandfather's details and respond as timely as possible.

Mark Mitchell, Head of Audiology. Woodend Hospital, NHS Grampian.

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