Patients with learning disabilities suffering with hearing loss are benefiting from a new service at a Birmingham hospital.

With up to 40% of adults with learning disabilities suffering from hearing loss, the Adults with Complex Needs Clinic at Heartlands Hospital will provide a specialised service to help patients get treatment and support for hearing loss.

Those attending the clinic will be seen by an audiologist for hearing assessments and to be given a better understanding of their condition. They will be offered individual treatment plans to help manage their condition. This may include communication advice, fitting hearing aids, or performing micro-suction to remove wax build-up etc.

Senior audiologist Esther Sewell, who leads the team, said: “Hearing loss can be a ‘forgotten’ condition and can be difficult to identify in people with learning disabilities because of the nature of their disability. Through our clinic, we will offer a service for adults with complex and specific needs, such as learning disabilities, but also conditions such as severe dementia.

“The patients receive personalised care for their individual needs, fitting around the patient rather than the patient fitting around the doctors, in a familiar and safe environment. They have the chance to get to know the staff who are treating them and we also support the carers, who can often feel neglected.

“We are now looking to raise awareness of the service as research has shown that far less people go to the clinic than should be the case for the demographics we have. In time we aim to go out into the community, working with local day centres and care homes, for example.”

The clinic is based at the Heartlands Hearing Centre. For more information contact Esther Sewell by emailing esther.sewell@heartofengland.nhs.uk