§ Derek ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list(a) the present length of wait and (b) the number of patients waiting for digital hearing aids in each London hospital. [188765]
§ Mr. HuttonThe information requested is not available centrally.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for(a) initial audiology appointments for digital hearing aids and (b) fitting of digital hearing aids is in each primary care trust in England. [189422]
§ Dr. LadymanThis information is not collected centrally. We have invested £94 million over two years which will be used to make digital hearing aids available across England by April 2005.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to speed up universal availability of digital hearing aids. [189423]
§ Dr. LadymanAll audiology departments in England will routinely be fitting digital hearing aids by April 2005.
The Department is investing a further £94 million in the financial years 2003–04 and 2004–05. This is additional to a total of £30.75 million invested since the modernising hearing aids services project began in September 2000.