Hamilton woman wants hearing implants to be NHS funded

Feb 11 2010 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

A HAMILTON woman has spoken out about her frustration at the NHS for not funding a simple operation that could transform the lives of many deaf people.

Ann Wilson (50) was born with a hearing impairment called external auditory canal atresia. However she has not allowed herself to be held back by the condition.

Ann can lip read and at work uses a specially-adapted ear and mouthpiece headset which allows her to take telephone calls.

Ann is also a singer and, with her band Rough Velvet, is a familiar face at local weddings and clubs.

She attends hospital regularly and it was at an appointment in January that she learned to her delight that there was a procedure she could undergo that would vastly improve her hearing. It involves having an implant fixed to the skull just behind the ear.

Called a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA), it transmits vibration into the inner ear thus providing magnified hearing to the patient.

However, Ann discovered that NHS Lanarkshire are currently not funding the purchase of the implant required for the life-changing procedure.

Ann said: “I couldn’t believe that an operation that would allow me to be able to hear in stereo instead of a dull monotone existed but was not available on the NHS.

“I am very frustrated as I think this procedure should be made available to people like myself who are taxpayers and who contribute into the National Insurance scheme.”

BAHA is considered a simple and effective treatment option for people with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss and single-sided sensorineural deafness. It utilises the body’s natural ability to conduct sound via bone. In cases where the middle ear is blocked or damaged, or when one ear does not function, the operation bypasses the obstacles, naturally stimulating the inner ear.

Ann added: “This implant would be a major breakthrough for many people who are in a similar position to me.

“It seems so unfair that I am being discriminated against.

“This is a solution that is so simple and effective for my type of hearing impairment and would allow a better quality of life.”

As part of her work with her band, Ann has to do all the sound checks for the equipment being used, otherwise she could have timing problems. The volume control must be carefully set to allow her to follow the vibration and beat from the amplifiers, but also to be at a level comfortable to the audience.

She said: “The sound checks and set up takes a lot of my time to get it just right. If I had the operation my hearing would be much improved and could almost eliminate the need for such rigorous checking and volume control.”

Ann’s consultant at Wishaw General, Dr A.P. Iyer said: “The criteria for putting in the bone-anchored hearing aid is very strict.

“It is for people who cannot wear normal hearing aids for whatever reason, including people with infections in the ear canal.”

The patient can have the procedure performed so long as inner-ear functions are normal.

Dr Iyer added: “There is no ‘waiting list’ for this operation in Lanarkshire as there is no availability, however there are around 10 people at the moment who could benefit from this procedure.

“I have applied to the Health Board Trust for funding to be made available for the Bone Anchored Hearing Aids, which are quite expensive, and due to the current economic situation, no funding has yet been made available to me to be able to carry out the procedures.

“Previously there have been patients transferred to another Health Board for the operation, but that in itself is more expensive, and they are not keen to take these patients for that reason.

“There is only a very select group of hearing impaired people who can benefit from the operation, and I anticipate that there would be between six to 10 patients a year.”

Dr Iyer went on to say that there are a lot of hearing infection cases in Lanarkshire and he is hopeful that funding will be made available to start doing these procedures by next year.

He has put the business case for the BAHA to the trust and now must wait for sanctions from Lanarkshire Health Board.

Dr Iyer added: “I have completed research and have written papers about the BAHA and the evidence proves that people who have had the procedure have indeed had a better quality of life.

“However, I must stress that this is only a viable operation where there is no other treatment or hearing aid available to the patient, and also where they meet the criteria for the effectiveness of the BAHA.”

A spokesman for NHS Lanarkshire said: “Our priority is to maintain the highest level of care for our patients and we regret any instance where someone feels we have failed to maintain this standard.”