World Hearing Day is held on 3rd March each year to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and to promote ear and hearing care across the world.
According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, one in five adults in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss. Further, unaddressed hearing loss in mid-life has been predicted to be the highest potentially modifiable risk factor for developing dementia.
The World Health Organization (WHO) decides the annual theme, which this year is ‘Hearing Care for ALL! Screen, Rehabilitate, Communicate’.
This year will also mark the launch of the first-ever World Report on Hearing and you can listen here from 11:00am.
What support is in place for patients across Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust?
Before your appointment
Please ask hospital staff before your appointment if you have any communication requirements such as a need for an interpreter or British Sign Language Interpreter.
The Audiology teams at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offer hearing and balance assessment and management from birth to adulthood.
New-born Hearing Screening Team: Maternity wards and community clinics, Preston and Chorley
The hearing screening team offers hearing screening for new-born babies. This aims to identify permanent hearing impairment in new-born babies because finding out early gives these babies a better chance of developing communication and language skills.
Neonate Diagnostic Hearing Assessment Team: Assessment at Royal Preston Hospital and Fulwood Audiology Clinic
The neonate diagnostic team work to confirm if a baby has a hearing impairment, the type and the level of impairment. This allows the appropriate management to be offered to help the baby and family’s communication.
Hearing screening and diagnostic teams have worked together to improve services for parents, aiming to reduce parental anxiety.
Paediatric Hearing Team: Children’s Audiology at Fulwood Audiology Clinic and community clinics across Lancashire
The paediatric team offer hearing assessment if there are concerns about hearing and provide support to children and families if a child has a known hearing problem.
Adult Hearing and Balance Team: Testing and rehabilitation at Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley District Hospital
The adult team offer assessment and management of hearing, tinnitus and vestibular (balance) problems.
If you are struggling with hearing, tinnitus, dizziness or balance problems, talk to your GP for a referral to audiology. Depending on your age and any associated ear-symptoms, you may be referred to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The adult audiology team have collated instructional videos which may be of help to patients with hearing aids.
The National Institute for Health Research has funded research into improving the lives of those with hearing loss, new hearing aid users and their families. Interactive multimedia videos are available here.
Hidden Disabilities Sunflower
We are proud to have registered with the Hidden Disabilities scheme and have sunflower lanyards and wristbands available for our patients who have a disability that may not be visible to everyone else but this will indicate to us that they may need some additional support.
Patients can collect their sunflower lanyards or wristbands from our general offices and some reception areas, please ask a member of staff if you are unsure or see here for more information.
Use of face masks in our hospitals
Please contact your department ahead of your visit if you are deaf or have a hearing impairment to ensure a plan can be put in place to aid effective communication. We have clear face masks available on request for those who lip-read.
Additional help and support:
General Communication Tips - RNID
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Audiology
Information and support - RNID
Hearing Link - UK Hearing Loss Charity
British Deaf Association - Home (bda.org.uk)
National Deaf Children's Society | supporting deaf children (ndcs.org.uk)
