MC 03
Memorandum
from the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID)
Executive summary
1. RNID has concerns regarding the treatment available to
those who have a hearing loss caused by their time in the Armed Forces. Since
1953, veterans have been offered priority treatment on the NHS, but we are
unsure as to who is eligible for priority treatment. There are two reasons why
this is particularly significant. First, digital hearing aids can radically
transform the life of someone who has a hearing loss, but current waiting times
for digital hearing aids are over two years in some parts of the country.
Second, since 1993 veterans with noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss
receive different treatment to veterans with other conditions, which has
created ambiguity. RNID believes all members of the Armed Forces should receive
a high level of treatment. We would like clarification as to which groups are
eligible for priority treatment, and how this is promoted among medical staff
and veterans.
Introduction
2. RNID is the
largest charity representing the 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people in
the UK. As a membership charity, we aim to achieve a radically better quality
of life for deaf and hard of hearing people. We do this by campaigning and
lobbying vigorously, by raising awareness of deafness and hearing loss, by
providing services and through social and medical research.
How medical services for the Armed Forces are delivered, and in
particular how the Ministry of Defence engages with the National Health Service
to provide healthcare.
3. Since 1993, veterans with noise-induced sensorineural
hearing loss assessed at 1-20% have typically been informed that their hearing
loss is attributable to service, but that they are not eligible for a
disablement pension or a one-off lump sum payment.
4. Current NHS guidance is based on HSG(97)31, a circular
issued by the Department of Health in 1997, which states that "priority should
be provided to people who receive a war pension for examination or treatment that
relates to the condition for which they are receiving the pension, unless there
is another case that requires clinical priority."
5. During a meeting with the MOD in November 2006, RNID was
told that all veterans assessed with a hearing loss attributable to service are
eligible for priority treatment. However, the guidance appears to suggest
that the veteran has to actually receive a war disablement pension or a
gratuity in order to be eligible. At the very least, there is ambiguity around
how the guidelines should be followed.
6. There are some gaps in the data, but since 1993 - which
is when the compensation threshold for veterans with sensorineural hearing loss
was raised to 20% - the MOD estimates that over 88,000 veterans have been told
their hearing loss is attributable to service, but have not received a gratuity
or a war disablement pension. The actual number of those who could have been
affected by ambiguity over prioritisation is likely to be over 100,000.
Recommendations for action
7. New guidance should be issued by the Department for
Health. This should make it clear that all veterans should have priority for
examination or treatment that relates to their condition as long as this
condition is attributable to service; and that, in the case of veterans with
noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss attributable to service, this is
regardless of whether a gratuity or a disablement pension is actually awarded.
8. The Department for Health should take steps to ensure
that medical staff and veterans are aware of the new guidance and its
implications.
14 May 2007
