Audiology Services: Doncaster

Jo White Excerpts

Monday 18th May 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sally Jameson (Doncaster Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

Let me start this debate by welcoming the Minister to her seat and to her new role, as I believe that this is her first time responding from the Front Bench. I am sure that she will be excellent, and I look forward to her response.

Doncaster has a long and proud history of supporting the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. It is home to the historic Doncaster school for deaf children, which was founded on 2 November 1829 by Rev. William Carr Fenton. That legacy continues today through the Carr Fenton Foundation site, which provides a nationally recognised resource, including a nursery, Yorkshire Rose college, employability services, and so much more. However, not long after I was elected, it became clear to me that audiology services in Doncaster were a huge cause of concern to many of my constituents. People were waiting years for basic appointments, hearing aids and even essential hearing aid repairs—sometimes three, four or five years.

[Jo White (Bassetlaw) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this debate to the House. It is not just Doncaster that is impacted by this issue, because Doncaster and Bassetlaw teaching hospitals NHS foundation trust stretches right across Bassetlaw. I have had similar experiences with my constituents; in fact, every time I have a meeting or a coffee morning, or am knocking on doors, I will find somebody who has been waiting years for treatment. Today, a coach tour of 50 constituents came to the House, and two of them have had problems getting treatment for audiology issues.

I will talk about Martin, who I met this morning. He has hearing aids, and had issues with them, as his hearing had changed. He has waited more than three and a half years to get them replaced. In fact, he can no longer use them, because they do not meet his needs. That is one story; there are many more. While I know that the situation is improving, and treatment is given every time I raise a case with the hospital, there are many thousands of people across my constituency who face this situation. This is a very important issue, and I thank my hon. Friend again for raising it.

[Sally Jameson]

That goes to show that this is a widespread issue. This is happening not just in Doncaster, but further afield, and thousands upon thousands of people have been impacted. At one stage, the audiology service at Doncaster royal infirmary temporarily shut down. While some of the emergency cases and children’s cases were reallocated to neighbouring services, a lot of people were left with pretty much nothing. They were totally uncertain about when, or even if, they would receive an appointment.

The impact on the hard-of-hearing community in my area has been truly devastating. Waiting lists have grown well into the thousands, and many people have felt isolated and forgotten. During this difficult period, the integrated care board and the Doncaster and Bassetlaw hospital trust have worked to improve the service, but as my hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw (Jo White) has pointed out, that took a lot of time. Alongside campaigners Maggie and Paul, who formed the Doncaster Audiology Action Group, and my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (Lee Pitcher), we held regular meetings with the NHS to press for action. With the support of the fantastic Healthwatch team, an audiology action event was held last month, giving residents the opportunity to access information about the service and receive basic hearing aid repairs, as well as to speak directly to stakeholders and support services.

There is still a long way to go; the waiting list is still too long. Constituents contact me, and there are times when I can contact the hospital and we manage to speed up treatment, but not in all cases. Eighteen months on, improvements are beginning to show. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the dedicated audiology team at Doncaster royal infirmary, who have worked tirelessly to try to turn the service around. However, this experience has shown me just how important audiology services are, yet how often they are overlooked.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jo White]

I am concerned about the link between loss of hearing and dementia. If somebody who is experiencing hearing loss goes down that horrible path of dementia and loss of memory, the lack of communication can spiral and make their condition explode. It becomes much more life-changing, much more quickly. Access to audiology services for people with dementia, or symptoms of dementia, is absolutely imperative, and I am so worried that those people are missing out on this very important course of treatment.

[Sally Jameson]

My hon. Friend is completely right. In a world in which we focus a lot on how we can treat and slow the progress of dementia and Alzheimer’s, this is something we really need to look at. That is key, and it is worrying and disappointing to us all that our constituents will be more susceptible to this issue because they do not have the service that might be available in other areas.