A Westbury audiologist has been left ‘deeply concerned’ by a new report from charity Tinnitus UK.
New data released for Tinnitus Week (3rd to 9th February), revealed that patients with tinnitus, a condition often described as a ringing, buzzing, or hissing in the ears, are experiencing delays of up to three years for specialist appointments on the NHS. Even when they are finally seen, 60% of doctors say they are unable to offer standard levels of care due to staffing shortages.
Simon Swindells, audiologist and owner of South West Hearing Care, says he sees the real-life impact of these failings every day at his clinics in Westbury, Street and Somerton.
He said, “I am deeply concerned by these findings. Too many people with tinnitus are being left to suffer in silence, with little or no support.
“We regularly see patients in our practices who have been told there’s nothing that can be done, or who have spent years waiting for help.
“Tinnitus is a complex condition and whilst we are not tinnitus specialists, we work with the condition on a daily basis, helping to identify if an individual’s tinnitus is linked to an underlying hearing loss, alongside providing help and support for how to best manage the condition.”
With one in seven adults in the UK – almost eight million people – living with tinnitus, and an estimated 1.5 million struggling with severe symptoms, the lack of support is leaving many feeling abandoned and without hope.
The Tinnitus UK report also sheds light on a potential cause of the condition that often goes undetected, Simon says.
“Scientists now believe that for one in ten sufferers with no obvious cause, the condition may be linked to ‘hidden hearing loss’, caused by damage to the nerve that carries sound signals to the brain, which may not show up on standard hearing tests.”
Pictured: Audiologist Simon Swindells from South West Hearing Care, fitting a hearing aid to a patient.
