Free hearing checks offered to over-60s in community centres

People aged over 60 in Wrenhaven and the Asher Valley can now have a free hearing check at their local community centre. Audiologists from Wrenhaven General Hospital are running drop-in sessions at eight centres over the winter, with no need for an appointment or a referral from a GP.

The check takes about 15 minutes and involves a quick look inside the ears followed by a simple screening test using headphones and a tablet. People whose results suggest they may have some hearing loss will be offered a full assessment at the hospital's audiology department, which can lead to hearing aids if they are needed.

Why earlier matters

Head of audiology Dr Nathaniel Pryce said many people put up with gradual hearing loss for years before seeking help. "It often creeps up slowly, and people adapt without noticing," he said. "They turn the television up, avoid busy restaurants or stop going to groups because they cannot follow the conversation."

Hearing well is about staying connected to the people around you. The earlier we see someone, the more we can usually do.

Dr Pryce said the sessions were also a chance to deal with simpler problems such as a build-up of earwax, which can be treated quickly. He stressed that sudden hearing loss, ear pain, discharge or dizziness should not wait for a drop-in session, and that anyone with those symptoms should contact their GP promptly.

The first sessions, at the Millbrook and Northfield community centres, were busy, with around 60 people seen at each. Joan Treharne, 72, said she had come along because her family kept telling her she was not listening. "It turns out I was listening, I just was not hearing," she said, after being booked in for a full assessment.

The programme is being funded for six months as a pilot. A timetable of sessions is available from community centres, libraries and GP surgeries, and volunteers from the Wrenhaven Hearing Support Group will be on hand to help people with existing hearing aids.