§ Mrs. CaltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the success of trials involving digital hearing aids in the 20 trial hospitals under the Government pilot programme;[12169]
(2) what research his Department has undertaken to assess the possibility of establishing a system to enable members of the public to purchase digital hearing aids at the cost price through the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [12170]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Department has commissioned the Institute of Hearing Research to evaluate the "modernising NHS hearing aid services" project. The final evaluation report will be available next year.
The Department is not conducting research to evaluate allowing people to pay for digital hearing aids on the national health service. NHS hearing aid services, which include hearing tests, hearing aids and follow up care, are available free to children and adults who are resident in the United Kingdom.
§ Dr. Evan HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what preliminary evaluation of the first wave sites in the digital hearing aid trial he has received; and if a copy will be placed in the Library. [12158]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Department has received interim evaluation reports based on data collected from a relatively small sample of patients from the Institute of Hearing Research in July and October. The evaluation is still ongoing, so reports have not been placed in the Library.
The final evaluation report will be available next year.
§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what timescale his Department is working under to extend the pilot programme of provision of digital hearing aids to the rest of the NHS; and what plans his Department has made regarding the future funding of digital hearing aids on the NHS between 2002–03 and 2003–04. [12011]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 6 November 2001]: The Department expects to make decisions about extending the modernisation of national health service hearing aid services to other audiology departments from 2002–03, and about future funding of digital hearing aids on the NHS, in the light of the research evaluation which is being carried out by the Institute of Hearing Research.
Twenty NHS trusts in England are fitting digital hearing aids as part of the "modernising NHS hearing aid services" project.