Charity calls for an end to hearing service ‘confusion’
ACHARITY is calling for NHS Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to urgently address the “confusion” they claim has been caused by changes to their adult hearing service provision.
Walthew House, in Shaw Heath, claim the service has been moved from Stepping Hill Hospital to a group of seven different providers across the whole of Greater Manchester, without being adequately communicated to local people.
These providers are Specsavers, Woodley Health Centre, Marple Medical Centre, The Outside Clinic, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Salford Royal Foundation Trust, and Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust.
Naomi Mather, Operations Manager at Walthew House, said: “The confusion caused to our service users and the broader population of Stockport is massive; what used to be a familiar and straightforward service has now become a confusing process, with many barriers to access.”
The non-profit organisation supports people who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing or have dual sensory loss.
One local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I contacted the hospital for some replacement hearing aid batteries, who referred me to my GP surgery, who then referred me to Specsavers, who said they needed an electronic communication from the NHS.
“The changes have created an inconvenient, inefficient, and annoying process.”
Hearing loss affects 17 per cent of people in the UK, and estimates show that up to 51,000 residents across Stockport have some form of hearing loss. It means these changes could potentially disrupt the lives of one in every six residents of the borough.
Eight months after first finding out about the changes being made to the services, Walthew House is still receiving calls from people recounting their experiences of the complicated and drawn-out attempts they have made to receive simple assistance from services that are contracted to help them.
Walthew House has contacted the service providers and the Stockport CCG to explain why residents have not been informed of the changes and what they will be doing to rectify the confusion they have created.
The complaints team are reviewing their concerns, but they have yet to hear a response.
A spokesperson at NHS Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group said: “There have been changes to the Audiology Service arrangements for Stockport in relation to agerelated hearing loss.
“Responsibility for this part of the service, for adults aged 18 and over, is now with community providers which, in Stockport, is Specsavers and Scrivens.
“The Audiology Department at Stepping Hill Hospital continues to care for patients who have been with the service for less than three years.
“At the end of the threeyear term, patients will be directed back to their GP to choose and refer to a new community provider.
“The Audiology Department also continues to manage patients with complex needs such as tinnitus and profound deafness, as well as children.
“If anyone is unsure whether they are within the three-year term they can check with the Audiology Department at Stepping Hill Hospital via email at audiology@ stockport.nhs.uk, by telephone on 0161 419 4183 or by text on 07917 073367.”
Walthew House can be contacted on 0161 480 2612 for help and support.