1. Our proposals for restricting NHS funded hearing aids
North East Essex CCG

2. Purpose of this engagement event
We will be informing you about our proposals for providing NHS funded hearing aids for individuals with a minimum hearing loss;
Five week engagement exercise – lasting until 19 October 2015;
This meeting will give you an opportunity to feedback;
It will give the CCG an opportunity to hear about any suggestions you may have;
Questions.

3. Reasons for our proposed change
The North East Essex CCG needs to achieve £14m recurrent savings every year for next four years;
Population of north east Essex is growing fast, especially amongst older people;
Higher levels of long term medical conditions than is average for Essex or England;
Much greater number of complex conditions;
To provide equity of access for all local people.
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4. What are we proposing?
Under our plans, we propose that the current hearing aid service provision would be restricted to individuals with an average hearing loss of 38 decibels or more;
Certain groups of patients with minimum hearing loss would still have access to NHS funded aids.
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5. What are we proposing?
NHS hearing aids would no longer be provided for adults with a hearing loss of 37 decibels or less.  We also propose that these patients would however still be eligible for free NHS hearing tests;
Adults with a mild hearing loss of 38 decibels or more and those with a moderate, severe or profound hearing loss would remain unaffected;
Adults who currently have hearing aids will not have them taken away;
Patients with clinical exceptions would remain unaffected;
Patients with special listening needs would be considered for eligibility by the CCG’s Clinical Review Group.
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6. How have we arrived at this proposal?
We have been reviewing other studies that have been produced nationally and internationally;
We are in dialogue with our acute provider about the way they provide the service;
We have been reviewing proposals in other parts of the NHS;
This is one proposal – we are truly open to ideas about how to reduce cost pressures.
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7. Ways to give your feedback
Leave feedback at an engagement event
Online survey – –
Twitter
Write to us: Audiology engagement, North East Essex CCG, Primary Care Centre, Turner Road, Colchester, CO4 5JR
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