Monday, December 31, 2007

How long a wait for hearing??

England
The Northern Echo
December 2007
 
 
Hard of hearing individuals in England receive their hearing instruments through the National Health Service (NHS). It's well known that they may wait quite a long time for their HIs, but it seems that some British precincts are setting new records...
 
"The worst offender was Kingston-upon-Thames, in south-west London, where a patient has to wait 125 weeks for an aid after first seeing their GP. Waits of over a year were also found in Suffolk (78 weeks), Gloucestershire (72), Ealing (67), Havering (64), Shepway (58), and Mid-Essex (56)."
 
The average cost of a hearing aid through private practice in England is approximately 950 pounds (about $1900).

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