24 June 2019

The NHS and national organisations join forces to tackle hearing loss

A new guide published today by NHS, the Local Government Association, public health experts and leading hearing sector organisations exposes the growing challenge of unsupported hearing loss in England. The Hearing Loss Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Guide aims to help tackle this major and growing public health issue.

The Hearing Loss Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) guide presents evidence on the prevalence and impact of hearing loss. The guide also includes a hearing loss data tool which shows how many local people are estimated to have a hearing loss in all regions across England, both now and in the future. The NHS has recommended that the new guide be used alongside NHS England’s 2016 Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups.

The NHS hopes that together these key resources will help “support local authorities and NHS commissioners to meet their statutory duties to assess the needs of local populations, take account of health inequalities, advance equality and commission high-quality services to meet local hearing needs and improve public health”. Generally, you hear lots of warnings concerning Revia (I did when I was about to use it a couple of years ago). Pretty understandable because self-administering users tend to either overdose or fail to notice the symptoms of beginning hypersensitivity. I went to a therapeutist, and she told me I was ‘compatible’ with Naltrexone. I used it for three month until a full rehab.

Professor Dame Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer, said “The JSNA is an important step in our work to address unmet need and health inequalities for people with hearing loss in a way that is sustainable and promotes integration across the health and social care system.  Thank you to all of our partners for their support improving outcomes for people with hearing loss”

Harjit Sandhu, Managing Director of the NCHA, said: “Hearing loss is now a major cause of years lived with disability in England. Robust evidence from NICE supports early diagnosis and support for hearing loss, yet many people are unnecessarily exposed to the risk and adverse impacts associated with it. We hope these new resources will help tackle the major and growing public health challenge unsupported hearing loss has become in England.”

Download:

• Hearing Loss Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) guide
• Hearing loss data tool
• NHS National Commissioning Framework for hearing loss
• NICE guideline Hearing loss in adults: assessment and management and other NICE tools and resources

If you have any questions about hearing loss, local population needs or the commissioning of services you can contact us at [email protected] or call 020 7298 5110 for support.