You Said We Did: Hearing Loss in Veterans
Healthwatch Lancashire regularly meets with veterans in East Lancashire to hear about their experiences accessing health and social care services. Some people we spoke to shared their experiences of hearing loss due to their time working in the Armed Forces.
Towards the end of 2023 and start of 2024 we met with Veteran groups again, to hear about their experiences of accessing services for hearing loss.
Several members of the group suffered from Tinnitus as a result of their occupation and have tried to access services to help them with their condition. Members of the group shared that they were unsure about how to get funded hearing aids, how to get hearing tests and audiology appointments.
The main issues raised were that members of the group were unsure where they could go to get support and they felt there were barriers to visiting hospital.
As a result of these discussions, Healthwatch Lancashire reached out to the Armed Forces Veteran Advocate Support Officer at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust to find more information to support Veterans accessing services.
This meeting was productive where we learned that there are staff members at ELHT who can advocate and provide support for veterans.
Healthwatch Lancashire visited the Veterans group again in April 2024 to share information about the Veteran Armed Forces Veteran Support Officers at ELHT and to give people a point of contact in future if they are accessing services. Members were encouraged to reach out to their GP for guidance as they can make referrals to audiology services.
If you are a veteran and are concerned about hearing loss the first step is to contact your local GP Practice and ask about support that is available.
Useful Links:
ELHT Support for The Armed forces
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Support for Veterans
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Support for Veterans