Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage people to seek help in the early stages of hearing loss.

National Health Service audiology services are locally commissioned, and the responsibility for meeting the needs of non-hearing people lies with local NHS commissioners.

We expect local commissioning to be informed by the best available evidence, relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, and guidance issued by NHS England. In 2015, NHS England published The Action Plan on Hearing Loss which sets out key objectives on hearing loss including, prevention, early diagnosis, maximising independence, and enabling people to take part in every-day activities. In 2018, NICE issued the guidance, Hearing loss in adults: assessment and management, which aims to improve hearing loss services. The NHS also provides information on hearing loss online, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hearing-loss/

This includes a link to a free online hearing test from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, signposting to services and, for those having hearing loss, things to help communicate with others and to avoid more damage to hearing.