§ 11. Mr. Robert Howarthasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the investigation of improved and more compact hearing aids has been completed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyDevelopment of a new body-worn hearing aid of about the same size as the present ones, but with improved performance and a wider range of facilities, is continuing but not yet completed.
§ Mr. HowarthIs my hon. Friend aware that one of the complaints that I have received is that there is a considerable amount of clothing noise with the body-worn hearing aids? Is there no prospect of moving to the head-worn variety which appear to be so much more satisfactory?
§ Dr. DunwoodyClothing noise is a problem with body-worn aids, although the new body-worn aid that we hope to introduce will be considerably superior, technically, to any ear-level aids available. The question of ear-level aids comes up in a separate Question from my hon. Friend.
§ 12. Mr. Robert Howarthasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the result of experimentally supplying children with head-worn hearing aids; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyThe experimental issue of ear-level aids is not yet complete, and a year's experience with each aid will be required before the results of the experiments can be fully assessed.
§ Mr. HowarthWill the experience from this experiment possibly lead to supplying adults with head-worn aids? Has my hon. Friend any observation to make on that?
§ Dr. DunwoodyI think that the results of this experiment will be of great value in deciding whether we should go ahead with the provision of ear-level aids. The main advantage of these is the cosmetic rather than the technical one, but this is no reason why we should not look at it.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsIs the hon. Gentleman aware that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction among the disabled over the existing provision of these hearing aids? Will he look into the whole question of the type and kind which is at the moment supplied by the National Health Service and what can be obtained from the private sector? The ability to switch is not there at the moment.
§ Dr. DunwoodyI think that technically the hearing aids provided today and the 8 ones that we hope to provide next year are vastly superior to the great majority provided privately. The private ones have a cosmetic appeal but not a technical one.
§ Mr. AtkinsonEven though my hon. Friend says that these aids have a cosmetic appeal, would he not agree that the price of these aids is about 12 to 13 times the manufacturing price, and will he therefore consider sending this to the Prices and Incomes Board?
§ Dr. DunwoodyThe question of referring this to the board is a different point, but I agree with the implication of my hon. Friend's question.
§ 18. Mr. Arthur Davidsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the provision under the National Health Service of hidden hearing aids to the deaf.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyEar-level aids are being provided, experimentally, for those school-children over the age of seven for whom they are clinically suitable.
§ Mr. DavidsonDoes not my hon. Friend agree that it is psychologically difficult enough for a school leaver who suffers from deafness to have to adjust to the stresses of a new job without the additional disadvantage of having to proclaim his or her difficulties to the world by wearing a hearing aid which is ugly and visible to everyone? Would not he agree that the provision of a hidden hearing aid would be the most important treatment for the deaf?
§ Dr. DunwoodyI agree that psychological difficulties are faced by young people in the situation outlined by my hon. Friend, but children at school face even greater psychological difficulties and for this reason they deserve priority during the experimental stage. After a period of 12 months, when we can assess the success or otherwise of the experiment, I think that we ought to consider the possibility of an extension to other categories.