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Select Committee on Health Written Evidence

Evidence submitted by Grant Shapps MP (AUDIO 30)

I have recently carried out research into audiology provision, in particular the waiting times for fitting of hearing aids, which was an issue brought up by some of my constituents. With around two million people using or needing the use of hearing aids this is a very important issue as far as health services are concerned.

I noticed the Health Committee is carrying out a short inquiry into audiology services, I hope this information is of some use to you.

Grant Shapps MP

8 February 2007

Table 1

Digital Hearing Aid Waiting Times (weeks)

	First-fit Hearing Aid
	2004-05	2005-06	Current
Average waiting time	35.3	37.6	41.1

Reassessment

2004-05 2005-06 Current

Average waiting time 45.6 52.3 64.4

Table 2a

Digital Hearing Aids Waiting Times for First Fitting (weeks)

	First Fitting Hearing Aid
Trust	2004-05	2005-06	Current
University Hospitals of Leicester	25	22	*
Airedale	40	58	*
Bromley Hospitals	52	104	112
Plymouth Hospitals	78	108	108
Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals	*	*	104
Weston Area Hospital	*	68	100
East Kent Hospitals	*	95	100
Stockport	36	72	88
East Surrey	105	84	88
The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals	48	74	74
Warwickshire	*	*	73
Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals	*	*	72
City Hospitals Sunderland	80	64	68
St Mary's	*	*	68
Wirral Hospital	38	52	68
Bradford Teaching Hospitals	*	*	68
Gloucestershire Hospitals	40	52	64
Guy's and St Thomas'	35	44	63
Ipswich Hospital	*	62	62
Harrogate and District	12	24	61
Essex Rivers Healthcare	64	64	60
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital	65	60	60
County Durham & Darlington	28	47	59
Mayday Healthcare	121	65	58
Southampton Hospitals	51	63	57
Bedford Hospital	10	40	56
Queen Mary's Sidcup	78	56	56
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh	34	42	56
South Warwickshire General Hospitals	*	*	54
Peterborough & Stamford	50	68	53
Royal United Hospital Bath	49	51	53
Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals	*	*	53
Heart of England	48	48	52
University Hospitals	52	36	52
North Bristol	30	40	52
North Hampshire Hospitals	*	*	52
United Lincolnshire Hospitals	18	32	49
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals	32	48	48
Northern Devon Healthcare	64	52	48
Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals	20	37	48
Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals	26	56	48
Burton Hospitals	*	45	47
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay	44	44	46
Luton and Dunstable Hospital	30	30	46
University Hospital Birmingham	56	56	46
Mid Cheshire Hospitals	48	55	44
Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals	64	60	40
Aintree University Hospital	28	17	40
South Devon Healthcare	52	44	40
Barking, Havering & Redbridge Hospitals	12	24	40
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals	48	26	39
Calderdale and Huddersfield	13	23	38
York Hospitals	64	52	38
Mid Essex Hospital Services	26	33	37
Royal Cornwall Hospitals	21	31	34
North Cumbria Acute Hospitals	20	32	32
North West London Hospitals	76	38	30
Healthcare	52	30	30
University Hospital North Tees	27	29	29
Newham PCT	26	28	28
Barts and The London	29	38	26
East Lancashire Hospitals	20	20	24
Hillingdon Hospital	26	25	24
Buckinghamshire Hospitals	44	22	22
The Hammersmith Hospitals	10	12	20
Southend University Hospital	27	32	20
Trafford Healthcare	13	23	20
Walsall Hospitals	*	18	18
United Bristol Healthcare	38	23	18
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital	26.3	20.7	17
Derby Hospitals	14	14	16
West Suffolk Hospital	18	16	16
Royal Free Hampstead	33	21	16
South Manchester University Hospitals	4	12	16
Bolton Hospitals	3	4	16
Gateshead Health	9	12	15
Nottingham University Hospitals	30	42	14
Frimley Park	*	*	13
Freeman Hospital	7	13	12
North Tyneside Hospital	4	12	12
Children's University Hospitals	42	15	12
Royal Berkshire	12	12	12
Taunton and Somerset	45	12	12
The Rotherham	24.5	21.5	12
Whittington Hospital	52	52	12
St George's Healthcare	10	9	11
Sherwood Forest Hospitals	7	6	8
Milton Keynes General	52	60	8
Birmingham Children's Hospital	6	6	6
Barnsley Hospital	10	8	6
Royal Liverpool Children's	3	3	3
Great Ormand Street Hospital for Children	3	3	3
Salford Hospital (children's hearing aids)	4	1	1
Average	35.0	37.8	41.2

Table 2b

Digital Hearing Aids Waiting Times for Reassessment (weeks)

	Reassessment
Trust	2004-05	2005-06	Current
University Hospitals of Leicester	24	27	*
Freeman Hospital	*	*	*
North Tyneside Hospital	*	*	*
Salford Hospital (children's hearing aids)	*	*	*
Northern Devon Healthcare	52	32	*
Airedale	20	58	*
Birmingham Children's Hospital	*	*	*
Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals	*	*	260
Wirral Hospital	163	169	169
Derby Hospitals	*	*	156
Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals	*	*	156
Plymouth Hospitals	78	112	156
Bromley Hospitals	*	*	156
Harrogate and District	26	52	156
Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals	78	156	156
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals	124	150	130
North Hampshire Hospitals	*	*	128
Mid Cheshire Hospitals	92	110	128
North West London Hospitals	84	96	126
Barking, Havering & Redbridge Hospitals	12	24	124
Gloucestershire Hospitals	72	104	120
Calderdale and Huddersfield	50	65	115
Stockport	36	72	114
Hillingdon Hospital	33	114	114
Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals	112	114	110
South Warwickshire General Hospitals	*	*	110
The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals	53	96	110
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals	40	76	104
Ipswich Hospital	*	70	104
North Cumbria Acute Hospitals	72	104	104
Heart of England	*	*	102
Weston Area Hospital	*	68	100
Essex Rivers Healthcare	78	100	100
East Kent Hospitals	*	95	100
Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals	*	*	96
Burton Hospitals	*	84	90
United Lincolnshire Hospitals	22	51	88
East Surrey	105	84	88
East Lancashire Hospitals	24	40	84
Newham PCT	50	52	78
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh	30	52	78
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital	64.7	84.3	73
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital	80	65	70
City Hospitals Sunderland	80	64	68
St Mary's	*	*	68
Walsall Hospitals	*	70	65
Bradford Teaching Hospitals	*	*	64
Royal Cornwall Hospitals	76	61	63
Luton and Dunstable Hospital	12	20	60
County Durham & Darlington	28	47	59
Mayday Healthcare	121	65	58
Bedford Hospital	10	40	56
Peterborough & Stamford	50	68	53
Royal United Hospital Bath	49	51	53
Barts and The London	44	40	52
Guy's and St Thomas'	25	36	52
University Hospitals	49	36	52
Queen Mary's Sidcup	112	56	52
Healthcare	78	52	52
Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals	26	56	48
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay	44	44	46
The Hammersmith Hospitals	20	20	40
North Bristol	12	28	40
South Devon Healthcare	52	44	40
Mid Essex Hospital Services	26	35	38
York Hospitals	78	52	38
Taunton and Somerset	47	45	37
University Hospital North Tees	27	27	34
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire	*	*	30
Aintree University Hospital	22	17	30
Southampton Hospitals	28	37	28
St George's Healthcare	*	*	24
Buckinghamshire Hospitals	52	22	22
University Hospital Birmingham	20	20	18
United Bristol Healthcare	32	23	18
Nottingham University Hospitals	35	52	17
Bolton Hospitals	78	30	17
West Suffolk Hospital	20	17	16
South Manchester University Hospitals	12	24	16
Gateshead Health	9	12	15
Trafford Healthcare	47	16	15
Frimley Park	*	*	14
Southend University Hospital	33	52	14
Children's University Hospitals	36	20	13
The Rotherham	24.5	21.5	13
Royal Berkshire	12	12	12
Royal Free Hampstead	33	15	10
Milton Keynes General	52	60	8
Barnsley Hospital	10	8	8
Sherwood Forest Hospitals	6	7	6
Great Ormand Street Hospital for Children	6	6	6
Whittington Hospital	52	52	4
Royal Liverpool Children's	*	*	0
Average	48.0	55.4	68.8

TOP TEN WORST OFFENDERS

Table 3a

First Hearing Aid—Top Ten Worst Offenders

Position	Trust	Waiting Time (Weeks)
1	Bromley Hospitals	112
2	Plymouth Hospitals	108
3	Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals	104
4=	Weston Area Hospital	100
	East Kent Hospitals	100
6=	Stockport	88
	East Surrey	88
8	The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals	74
9	University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire	73
10	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals	72

Table 3b

Reassessment—Top Ten Worst Offenders

Position	Trust	Waiting Time (Weeks)
1	Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Hospitals	260
2	Wirral Hospital	169
3=	Derby Hospitals	156
	Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals	156
	Plymouth Hospitals	156
	Bromley Hospitals	156
	Harrogate and District	156
	Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals	156
9	Sheffield Teaching Hospitals	130
10=	North Hampshire Hospitals	128
	Mid Cheshire Hospitals	128



© Parliamentary copyright 2007	Prepared 16 May 2007