Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to publish their National Action Plan on Hearing Loss before North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group makes its final decision on the provision of hearing aids for patients with mild to moderate adult-onset hearing loss.

The Action Plan on Hearing Loss is still being finalised by NHS England. An announcement on a potential publication date will be made in due course, although it is not likely to be linked to any other external activity relating to hearing loss such as the commissioning intentions of North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

NHS England’s Action Plan is intended to set out actions being undertaken by NHS England, Public Health England, the Department of Health, other Government Departments and stakeholder organisations involved in hearing loss. Although it will include improvements in commissioning, it will not determine individual local commissioning decisions about services.