Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
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Baker's hearing aid plea to government falls on deaf ears
Local MP Norman Baker has reacted with outrage at the publication of figures showing that the average number of weeks a NHS patient in the south east has to wait between their first appointment and being fitted with a hearing aid is over one year, the highest for any region in the UK.
The south east has been identified as a ‘blackspot’ area in a report by the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (BSHAA. Total average waiting list times for patients being treated by audiology departments have risen from 57 weeks in 2004 to 81 weeks this year and patients are waiting 55 weeks between their first appointment and being fitted with a hearing aid. The government had set a target of lowering waiting lists for an outpatient appointment to 13 weeks by the end of 2005 and for a total wait of 18 weeks from GP referral to hospital treatment by 2008.
The BSHAA also claim that they are expecting the situation to get worse before it improves due to the government now offering free digital hearing aids and a campaign being launched this year designed to make the wearing of hearing aids more socially acceptable.
Commenting on these figures Norman said:
"I have been contacted by several constituents who are currently facing year long waits to be fitted with a hearing aid. It is absolutely disgraceful that they, and others should have to wait so long to be treated for hearing difficulties. Looking at the actual waiting times you have to wonder how the government decides on their targets.
"Complaints about the length of time patients spend on waiting lists just seem to fall on deaf ears with this government. These waiting times again illustrate the current postcode lottery of health care in the UK. Given the current situation I cannot see how the Department of Health are going to meet their target of an 18 week wait by 2008 unless they act immediately to change the way hearing aids are supplied."