Tees Valley Non-complex Adult Hearing Services Review

Healthwatch Middlesbrough and Healthwatch Redcar and Cleveland undertook research on non-complex adult hearing services on behalf of the NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group. For the TVCCG report, 232 surveys were completed, along with nine focus groups. Healthwatch Middlesbrough and Healthwatch Redcar and Cleveland facilitated two of the focus groups. Engagement took place between May and July 2022.

Focus group participants reported difficulties booking appointments with their preferred hearing service. This included confusion over how to book with their local branch, a lack of awareness of the availability of home-visit appointments for respondents who were house-bound, as well as uncertainty about how to get a referral to access NHS services. Respondents also reported having resorted to sourcing their own hearing aids after being unable to book an appointment with their GP to get a referral. Issues around the lack of reasonable adjustments regarding patients' preferred ways to communicate with services were also raised, particularly having to call to book an appointment despite this being difficult due to hearing loss. Participants also mentioned the quality of NHS hearing aids, saying they were not suitable for people who wear glasses, broke too easily and did not fit all ear shapes. While people reported it was easy to acquire replacement batteries for their hearing aids, they also said it was difficult to get more complex issues that require support resolved and that there was a need for clear information on how to access aftercare.

As a result of the findings, the report recommends improving promotion and awareness around how to access hearing services by providing clear information on referrals and how to book an appointment, as well as raising awareness of the availability of home visits and what is included in the aftercare. Offering a range of different hearing aids to suit the needs of a variety of individuals was also recommended.

TVCCG will ensure that the feedback given within this report will inform future service specifications used within their relevant commissioning process.