UK Hearing Survey
More Must Be Done To Deal With Hearing Loss, Says Report
Hearing loss in the UK has been ignored, overlooked and disregarded for far too long, a country-wide commission says.
By 2031 it is expected that 20 per cent of the UK population will suffer from hearing loss – about 14.1 million people.
Priority
And because of this, The Commission On Hearing Loss, set up by the International Longevity Centre-UK, says that treating hearing loss must be made a greater priority in the UK.
More people must have access to good hearing healthcare services, the report adds, and the UK must show that it is ready to deal with this increasing problem.
Employment
Research is now showing a link between untreated hearing loss and dementia and people with hearing loss are also less likely to be in employment than the general population, the commission found.
New analysis undertaken for the report estimated that this cost the UK economy almost £25bn a year in lost output.
The report says the devastating impacts of hearing loss for people and for society could be avoided if there was improved provision, take-up and use of hearing aids.