Nhs Digital Hearing Aids

EDM number 317 in 2001-02, proposed by Siobhain McDonagh on 29/10/2001.

That this House welcomes the Government's creation of 20 first-wave Modernising NHS hearing aid services providing digital hearing aids, implemented jointly by the Department of Health and the RNID, but also notes with concern that this technology is not yet available to all two million current hearing aid users; notes that, so far, less than five per cent. of people in need of hearing aids have access to the NHS digital hearing aids that are proving so much more helpful to users; notes that hearing aids provided by the rest of the NHS are based on outdated 1970s technology and that one-third of these aids are not used regularly, largely because users cannot obtain real benefit from them; notes that digital aids purchased privately can cost up to ú2,500 each, whilst each digital hearing aid costs the NHS as little as ú150 and could cost less for larger volumes in universal provision; notes that universal NHS provision of digital aids would benefit more than three million potential additional users, some 500,000 immediately; notes that with an incremental cost of only ú100 per capita - equivalent to less than a day in hospital - no opportunity exists in the NHS to change so many lives so radically; further notes that public expenditure would be reduced due to greater individual well-being and independence and an extension of working lives; and consequently calls on the Government, having assessed the work of the Institute of Hearing Research, to commence the universal provision of digital hearing aids through the NHS.

This motion has been signed by a total of 234 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.