§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in providing the latest digital hearing aids in Essex; and if he will make a statement. [189071]
§ Dr. LadymanSince September 2000, the modernising hearing aid services project has been retaining audiologists and generally modernising services in a 1753WS phased way to enable them to offer digital hearing aids to people who would benefit from them. The roll-out will be complete by April 2005.
Digital hearing aids require different service delivery models as they incorporate information technology-based assessment and fitting procedures. A total of £30.75 million was made available from 2000 to 2003 for this project and a further £94 million will be available from 2003 to 2005.
I am informed that the audiology department at Southend Hospital National Health Service Trust is now fully funded and up and running. All new patients are fitted with digital hearing aids. There is a programme in place for patients who have an analogue hearing aid to have appointments to have the digital aid fitted if they want one.