Take our free online hearing check. You can also call RNID's telephone hearing check on 0844 800 3838 that Stan mentions in the video above (calls from a BT landline cost up to 5p per minute. Other providers' charges may vary. Call set up charge may apply).
- Aim: To provide high-quality information and aftercare services for people who wear hearing aids.
- Impact: We created our community-based Hear
to Help projects, which provide simple maintenance, support and advice
to new hearing aid wearers, and to the families and carers of existing
wearers. By enabling people to make better use of their aids, Hear to
Help leads to greater independence and reduces the risk of isolation.
It also plays a part in rehabilitation, befriending and equipment assessment.
We have 10 Hear to Help projects around the UK, reaching 20,000 people.
We have encouraged health professionals to recognise the value of Hear
to Help in relieving the strain on 'mainstream' audiology services by
establishing new contracts and funding for Hear to Help from four Primary
Care Trusts in England.
See our impact in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Aim: To continue our campaign to ensure NHS waiting times for patients needing hearing aids are reduced.
- Impact: We successfully lobbied the Department of Health
to introduce the maximum 18-week waiting time target in England for audiology
services. By March 2009, 99% of people given hearing aids that month had
waited fewer than 18 weeks to receive a hearing aid which has improved
their ability to communicate and quality of life.
See our impact in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Aim: To improve the quality of and access to audiology services.
- Impact: We continue to work on the Department of Health's
Audiology Advisory Board to develop quality standards and guidance for
the NHS in England. We also advise those responsible for purchasing hearing
aids for the NHS, aiming to ensure that technology continues to improve
and that users' needs are fully met.
See our impact in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.