Tinnitus UK warns of a crisis in tinnitus care within the NHS, highlighting long waiting lists, inadequate treatment, and a lack of priority given to patients. The report reveals that many are forced to seek private care due to the failings of the public system.
Tinnitus sufferers in the UK have been left feeling abandoned by the NHS , facing lengthy waiting lists and dismissal from doctors, according to a charity. Patients experiencing this distressing condition, often characterized as a ringing in the ears, are enduring delays of up to three years for specialist appointments, as reported by Tinnitus UK.
One of the millions of Britons affected, 36-year-old Kerry Pollit, describes how the condition is destroying her life while she remains without medical assistance. The beauty stylist from Portsmouth first encountered a vibrating and hissing sound in her ears six months ago. She sought help from her GP twice and received a referral to an ear specialist, but further communication ceased. 'It has had a big impact on my work,' says Kerry. 'I can't concentrate and I often don't want to talk to clients. It has really affected me.' Frustrated by the lack of progress, Kerry consulted a private audiologist, who suggested the condition might resolve on its own and offered no treatment.A report by Tinnitus UK, which surveyed nearly 200 clinicians specializing in tinnitus, revealed a grim reality. Even when patients finally receive treatment, 60% of doctors are unable to provide standard care due to staffing shortages. Sonja Jones, a private audiologist from Cardiff and co-author of the report, emphasizes the severity of the situation: 'Patients are being abandoned by the system. They're waiting years for help while suffering from a relentless noise in their ears which is pushing them to a breaking point.' The report highlights a disturbing trend: patients are being treated as 'low priority' and met with substandard care, forcing many to seek private treatment. Over a third of private audiologists surveyed agreed that tinnitus was not a high priority for them. 'We are definitely getting more people to come and see us privately, and it is mainly overspill from NHS waiting lists,' says Ms. Jones. 'The issue is that, for many private clinics, tinnitus is of low priority and focuses on selling prescriptions or equipment.
TINNITUS NHS HEALTHCARE PATIENT CARE TREATMENT WAITING LISTS
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