Average wait time for hearing test in Cork and Kerry reaches more than two years 

Elderly people and others in the Cork and Kerry health region face a wait of more than two years before getting a test for hearing aids and, according to a Cork advocate for the elderly, they feel they are losing friends and being excluded from conversations due to hearing difficulties.

Paddy O’Brien, the Cork-based activist, was speaking to The Echo after it was disclosed, in a response to a query from this newspaper, that the average waiting time for a hearing test in the Cork/Kerry region was 117 weeks.

In the statement from Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, it was also confirmed that there are 2,619 adults awaiting assessment in the region — with 57% of those have been waiting 52 weeks or more.

“HSE Cork Kerry Community Healthcare’s adult audiology service is provided by a team of audiologists who assess people with a medical card,” a spokesperson for the service said in the statement to The Echo.

“There are currently 14.2 audiologists working in Cork and Kerry Primary Care, with one unfilled post.

“The service supports clients with hearing loss through each stage of their care pathway; from initial assessment, to hearing aid fitting, and follow-up care.”

In the statement, it was explained that referrals for adult medical card holders were received directly from GPs or ear, nose, and throat consultants. These are then triaged, prioritised, and added to the appropriate waiting list.

“The demand for the service is very high and the wait time for an appointment is currently 117 weeks, based on available staffing.

“We deeply regret that anyone in need of our services is facing longer-than-expected wait times.

“We apologise sincerely, this is not the standard of service we strive to provide and we want to assure people affected that we are working hard to address these issues and improve access to the audiology service.”

According to Mr O’Brien, many elderly people who are experiencing hearing difficulties as they wait for a hearing test — which is needed before a hearing aid is installed — are experiencing extreme loneliness due to lack of social contact.

“People who are waiting for approval to get the hearing aids tell me they are losing friends,” he said.

“When they go out, people are speaking over them and they’re losing the conversation, they’re excluded.”

Mr O’Brien described the waiting list figures as “awful”.

“People have no quality of life, they lose out on television, they lose out on radio — I met one woman who said she doesn’t have a mind for Mass because outside the church, she doesn’t hear what her friends are saying,” he said.