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
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