§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of adults and children, respectively, fitted with behind-the-ear hearing aids, and the number of those reported as waiting for appointment and fitting in each region in England at the last date for which figures are available: and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisIn the period November 1974 to 30th September 1977, the latest date for which figures are available, 242,000 behind-the-ear hearing aids were issued to adults and 17,000 to children.
The numbers of adults and children in each region for whom an appointment had been made or who were on a waiting list for fitting of a behind-the-ear hearing aid the at 30th September 1977 were as follows:
Region Adults Children Northern … 5,869 9 Yorkshire … 2,553 12 Trent … 2,544 23 East Anglia … 702 7 North West Thames … 967 14 North East Thames … 4,819 6 South East Thames … 5,157 10 South West Thames … 290 10 Wessex … 1,086 11 Oxford … 1,129 14 South Western … 6,925 5 West Midlands … 1,655 12 Mersey … 2,295 2 North Western … 2,101 9 Total … 38,092 144 The hon. Member may like to know that, during September, approximately 12,000 of these aids were issued to new patients or on exchange for a body-worn model.