Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what national guidance is in place for NHS commissioners and providers regarding emergency or out-of-hours support for patients who experience sudden hearing aid failure; and whether he has assessed the patient safety risks associated with gaps in such provision.

NHS England has published national commissioning guidance for adult audiology services, including the provision, maintenance, and ongoing support of hearing aids, to help commissioners deliver high quality and accessible hearing services in line with local population needs.

Responsibility for determining and commissioning any emergency or out of hours support for patients experiencing sudden hearing aid failure rests with integrated care boards, who are best placed to assess local demand and put appropriate arrangements in place.

The Department does not hold information on the number of trusts that provide out-of-hours support for hearing aid failure and has made no assessment on safety risks associated with variation in local provision.