§ Mr. Concannonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why those certified to be in need of hearing aids in Mansfield and district must wait for between 12 to 18 months for supply.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe work of manufacturing individual ear moulds and hearing aids is undertaken in Nottingham for the whole of the county. The Nottinghamshire area health authority is acutely aware of the delays in the provision of hearing aids throughout the area; caused by a shortage of trained staff and, in the case of Central Nottinghamshire, by a lack of facilities to increase the number of technician sessions at Kings Mill hospital for fitting patients' earpieces.
In order to try to improve the service, some new temporary accommodation will be provided from the end of April which will allow the hospital to increase the number of technician sessions from two to five. For the longer term, the central Nottinghamshire district has provided funds in the 1981–82 period for the training of a student technician and it is hoped to make similar provision for another student in 1982–83. The students will have to do their training in Nottingham, but, when qualified, will work in the Central Nottingham district.