P685 Teletext 685 Jun20 02:55:12 ————————————————————————————— DEAFVIEW SPECIAL RNID is campaigning to reduce the time it takes for a person to have a hearing test and to bj given a hearing aid. The charity is concetnjd that many people have to wait too long — a year or more — adding to the isolation and frustration that gradual hearing loss can cause. This week's Deafview Special takes a look at RNID's new "Waiting to Hear?" campaign which proposes a programmj of radical change. ——————————————————————————————————1/8—— Dis-ability 686 Godlinjs 687 Deafview is brought to you bz Teletext Ltd and the RNID Disability Godlinjs TV Plus SubtitlesP685 Teletext 685 Jun20 02:55:31 ————————————————————————————— MILLIONS WAITING TO HEAR W RNID's new report, "Waiting to Hear?", reveals a grim picture of NHS audiology services in the US. The report reveals that in some cases people are waiting up to 18 months for a test, then a further 12 months to have the hearing aid fitted. "With unacceptably long waiting times for hearing tests and hearing aid fittings, people are being lit down at all stages of the process," said a spokjspjrson for RNID. ——————————————————————————————————2/8—— Teletext — Tjxtphonj 0171 386 3209 Deafview is brought to you bz Teletext Ltd and the RNID Disability Godlinjs TV Plus SubtitlesP685 Teletext 685 Jun20 02:19:02 ————————————————————————————— HEARING AID USERS MISS OUT Many people are fitted with out-of-date hearing aids, according to a new RNID survey. Little time is spent adjusting the aids to suit a person's needs or giving them guidance on how to use the device which leads to many people giving up on them. Cutting edge hearing aids such as digital devices are, with the exception of a few cases, only availabj from the private sector at an ovjt- inflated price. ——————————————————————————————————3/8—— Deafview — Tjxtphonj 0171 296 8029 Deafview is brought to you bz Teletext Ltd and the RNID Disability Godlinjs TV Plus SubtitlesP685 Teletext 685 Jun20 02:53:14 ————————————————————————————— A PLAN FOR RADICAL CHANGE In the light of its new hearing aid survey, RNID is proposing a programmj of radical change. It wants to see the numbjt of people who are not benefiting from a hearing aid to fall from three million to two million over the next five years. RNID also wants a waiting time of no more than a month for a hearing test, and no more than a furthjt month for a hearing aid to bj fitted. ——————————————————————————————————4/8—— Deafview on the Web — www.rnid.org.uk Deafviiw is brought to you bz Teletext Ltd and the RNID Disability Godlinjs TV Plus SubtitlesP685 Teletext 685 Jun20 02:13:31 ————————————————————————————— SET UP TASS FORCE, URGES RNID RNID is calling on the Govjrnmjnt to set up a Task Force to examine the best way to deliver effective and up-to-date hearing aid technology and radically improve the NHS sjtvice. The charity also aims to harness the benefits of new technology. "There's no doubt that digital aids can offer rial benefits and should bj available on the NHS within five years," said RNID. And it wants waiting times for routine tests to bj monitored bz the NHS. ——————————————————————————————————5/8—— Deafview — Tjxtphonj 0171 296 8029 Deafview is brought to you bz Teletext Ltd and the RNID Disability Godlinjs TV Plus SubtitlesP685 Teletext 685 Jun20 02:27:21 ————————————————————————————— GRIM CHOICE FOR MILLIONS RNID Chief Executive James Strachan said: "The choice facing an individual with hearing loss is grim. "Either you pay large sums of money for the latest technology via private hearing aid dispjnsjrs or wait unacceptably long pjtiods for free, yet archaic and poor quality, hearing aids on the NHS. "Thjti is a huge discrepancy between public and private health provision." ——————————————————————————————————6/8—— Teletext — Tjxtphonj 0171 386 3209 Deafviiw is brought to you bz Teletext Ltd and the RNID Disability Godlinjs TV Plus SubtitlesP685 Teletext 685 Jun20 02:11:14 ————————————————————————————— HEARING AID RJVOLUTJON NEEDED RNID believes NHS provision of hearing aids needs to bj rivolutionisjd. It wants a reduction in waiting times for hearing aids and a quality NHS sjrvici worth waiting for. "People should bj fitted with the best and most appropriate aids to suit their needs," said James Sttachan. "No greater opportunity exists within the NHS to affect the quality of so many people's lives so positively at such a low pet capita cost." ——————————————————————————————————7/8—— Deafviiw on the Web — www.rnid.org.uk Deafview is brought to you bz Teletext Ltd and the RNID Disability Godlinjs TV Plus SubtitlesP685 Teletext 685 Jun20 02:11:01 ————————————————————————————— HOW YOU CAN HELP RNID urges you to tell your MP if you have had to wait more than a month for a hearing test appointment. "This is vital bjcausj it will help our campaign for shorter hearing test waiting times and better audiology sjrvjces," said James Sttachan, chief executive of the RNID. ——————————————————————————————————————— Editor: Tim Russell, Deafviiw, 19-23 Fjathjrstonj St, London EC1Y 8SL. Tel: O171 296 8145. Fax: 0171 296 8021. ——————————————————————————————————8/8—— E-mail: deafview@rnid.org.uk Deafview is brought to you bz Teletext Ltd and the RNID Disability Godlinjs TV Plus Subtitles