Two year wait for hearing aids

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Adults in parts of Scotland have been forced to wait an average of almost two years for a hearing aid, according to new figures.

The most recent statistics showed some patients in the NHS Grampian region had to wait an average of 99 weeks to have the hearing aid fitted.

The waiting times were released to Tory health spokeswoman Dr Nanette Milne under Freedom of Information laws.

Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald said waiting times were coming down.

Dr Milne's FOI request showed that patients in the Elgin area had to wait 46 weeks from their referral before having an assessment and then had to wait a further 53 weeks before their hearing aid was fitted.

When it comes to audiology, the picture is deeply worrying Dr Nanette Milne Scottish Conservative health spokeswoman

The Conservative MSP described that as "unacceptable" and is now submitting similar requests to other health boards in a bid to find out how long their patients are made to wait.

Dr Milne said: "When it comes to audiology, the picture is deeply worrying. This average is bad enough, but by definition some people will be waiting even longer."

A spokesman for NHS Grampian stressed that the average waiting times in the region were between 10 and 20 weeks from initial assessment to fitting.

He said: "The two-year wait applies to Elgin only, because of capacity constraints, but a new centre is being built there. Work begins in March and should be completed by May."

NHS Grampian is upgrading the soundproofing its clinics in Stonehaven, Aboyne, Inverurie, Peterhead and Buckie to allow digital hearing aids to be fitted there.

Mr Macdonald said more than 50,000 digital hearing aids had been fitted across Scotland in the last four years and added waiting times were coming down.

He said: "This is good news for patients and shows that our investment is making a real difference for patients and their families.

"We have invested an extra £19.3m to NHS Boards to modernise and improve their audiology services so that every patient can get a hearing aid of a type that is best suited to their needs."