Free hearing help for veterans

Leading audiology service and NHS partner, Chime Health is raising awareness of the Veteran’s Hearing fund ahead of armistice day. This scheme allows serving and ex-service men and women to gain free hearing help and equipment from Chime, thanks to Government funding.

Following the Royal British Legion’s ‘Lost Voices’ report in 2011, which highlighted the hearing issues faced by veterans, the organisation lobbied the UK Government to do more to help those with hearing loss. Thanks to this campaign, in 2015, the Government responded by creating a new Veterans Hearing Fund, giving veterans free access to hearing technology. This means Chime is now able to offer hearing health advice that is second to none as well as the latest in hearing technology and equipment free at the point of service.

Chime Managing Director, Jonathan Parsons says: “Hearing damage, one of the less visible effects of warfare, is a key issue affecting the Armed Forces community but has received very little attention to date.

“Almost all service people, whether in service for 5 or 20 years, are likely to suffer from hearing difficulties after exposure, in training, service and active service, to a vast amount of noise from arms, artillery, engines, other machinery and explosive devices. This will inevitably take its toll on the auditory system.

“It is therefore not surprising, due to the nature of their roles, that current statistics reveal that Armed Forces veterans are around 3.5 times more likely than the general population to report hearing difficulty. We are keen to raise awareness of the fact that ex-servicemen and women needn’t suffer with hearing loss, as we can offer them expert advice and state-of-the-art technology that has been described by some of our clients as life-changing.”

With a total of 15 clinics in Exeter and the surrounding area, from the RD&E to a state-of-the-art audiology centre in Exeter City Centre (Harlequins Centre), Chime is pioneering a significant change in NHS audiology service. As a not-for-profit social enterprise, it has been recognised by both professionals and patients as a centre of excellence for hearing health and the best NHS service in the UK.

One of the unique aspects of Chime is that they specialise in hearing and nothing else, and as a 'not-for-profit' company, clients receive impartial advice and top quality standards of service.

If you have any concerns about hearing, please contact Chime on 01392 402 223 or visit chimehealth.co.uk @chimeaudiology.

For more detailed information on eligibility via AFCS visit: chimehealth.co.uk or call on 01392 402 223.