ICB reverses “unfair” hearing aid restrictions so anyone with hearing loss can get them
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) has reversed a “controversial” decision that meant residents with mild hearing loss were unable to access hearing aids.
It means that there are now no eligibility criteria for people with any severity of hearing loss in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to access NHS-commissioned hearing aids.
According to Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB, this decision was financially led and not clinically driven.
Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, Chief Medical Officer for the ICB, said: “This has been a long journey, partially because of COVID, but also because we wanted to make sure we did everything correctly and followed the clinical evidence.
“We shall now be talking to our local authority Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees to explain how we intend to implement these new policies.”
The ICB also made a number of other changes to harmonise the eligibility criteria for a number of treatments, including male and female sterilisation and breast augmentation. Overall, there will be an increased investment of around £70,000 by the ICB to implement these changes, according to the board.
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) has welcomed the decision to make hearing aids accessible to anyone with hearing loss, which described the previous restrictions as “controversial” and “unfair”.
Crystal Rolfe, Associate Director for Health at RNID, commented: “RNID and our supporters are absolutely thrilled that after years of campaigning, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board has agreed to remove these unfair restrictions on hearing aids in North Staffordshire.
“Research shows that for people with mild hearing loss, hearing aids improve communication, relationships, self-confidence, social participation and overall health, and reduce the risk of depression and anxiety. There is also a growing body of evidence to show that hearing aids may reduce the risk of dementia for people with hearing loss.
“Hearing aids are a cost-effective solution for the NHS, so the previous decision to restrict access to them was unjustifiable and against the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
“We’re pleased that this decision removes the postcode lottery for hearing aids, and ensures that hearing aids are freely available for all who need them. A pair of private hearing aids can cost £2500, which is unaffordable for many people, especially during a cost-of-living crisis.
“Today we celebrate this momentous change in policy, which will protect access to hearing aids for everyone who needs them, not only in North Staffordshire but in the rest of the UK.”
The ICB is now developing implementation plans for the removal of hearing aid restrictions in the area.