Bringing Hearing Health Checks to Parliament

I was delighted to welcome RNID to Parliament this week for a hearing health event which I sponsored as Chair of the APPG on Deafness. What started as an idea to bring the issue of access to hearing healthcare into Parliament became an opportunity for MPs and parliamentary staff to experience hearing services first-hand and learn more about the barriers many people face in accessing care.

As a former ENT surgeon, I know how important timely access to hearing care can be. Simple interventions such as ear wax removal can have an immediate impact on a person's quality of life, yet people in Suffolk and across England do not always have access to these essential services on the NHS.

The event highlighted the challenges facing hearing healthcare, including inconsistent access to ear wax removal services and long waits for audiology appointments. It was encouraging to see strong engagement from colleagues across Parliament and a genuine interest in understanding how these issues affect millions of people in the UK.

The event was delivered by RNID in partnership with Hear for Norfolk, a charity providing community ear and hearing health services, which brought its mobile hearing clinic to Speaker's Court for the day. In Suffolk, I would like to see ear wax removal more easily available in the community through innovative approaches like this.

I hope this event helps build momentum behind the case for improving access to hearing healthcare and ensuring that everyone who needs support can receive it.