The silent employment crisis – hearing loss hits jobs
Hundreds of Plymouth workers admit hearing loss is affecting their ability to do their job – but almost 79% still haven’t had a hearing check.[i]
This is according to new research from Specsavers, uncovering the devastating and widespread impact of hearing loss, and the company is calling on the Government for hearing care equality.
This revelation comes despite 83% across the region admitting that being able to hear clearly is crucial for their work.
People have not pursued a hearing check for various reasons, according to the survey. The survey shows that across the region 25% of those asked said they believed it wasn't necessary to have a hearing check. Despite this, however, many respondents also report that hearing loss significantly impacts them in the workplace.
This unaddressed hearing loss means that 29% of people regularly ask colleagues to repeat themselves, make mistakes due to hearing difficulties (21%), and it even impacts their ability to perform their job properly (9%).
Even with hearing loss having such a significant impact on working life, 11% of people have not discussed it with their employer. And of those who did speak up, 11% feared discrimination, and a quarter faced concerns about their job performance from their employer.
In fact, 10% have considered leaving or changing their job due to hearing issues. Separate research from RNID (formerly known as Action on Hearing Loss) reinforces the Specsavers findings, with 40% of those who had retired early, citing hearing loss as a factor.[ii]
Dr Zoe Williams, GP and TV doctor, said: “Now is the time to talk about hearing and address the serious impact hearing loss has on working individuals and those who feel forced to take early retirement. Most people don’t need to let hearing loss disrupt their careers or result in them leaving their jobs. Many could benefit significantly from having a hearing check and other audiology services made more widely available on the high street.”
The knock-on impact of hearing loss on the region’s economy is huge, resulting in lost productivity and unemployment each year.[iii] However, access to NHS hearing care is currently a postcode lottery – creating barriers for those seeking a diagnosis and support.
For some, NHS audiology services such as hearing devices, aftercare and wax removal are available for free on their local high street. However, for others, hearing care services can only be accessed through GP referral to a hospital or by paying for their own care.
Latest figures show there are thousands of people in the region currently sitting on NHS waiting lists.[iv] Long wait times to get help can lead to people being forced to leave their job or retire early.
Specsavers is calling on the Government to ensure all areas have access to NHS audiology services in the community and to implement NHS England self-referral guidance consistently to allow those needing NHS hearing care to see a professional audiologist on the high street without having to see their GP first. This would free up thousands of GP appointments a year, enabling timely care within four weeks.[v]
Carina Hummel, Managing Director for Audiology at Specsavers, said: “As experts in eye and hearing care, Specsavers is ready and able to support the NHS to do this. Our hearing experts, with their clinical skills and accessible locations, are perfectly placed to deliver these services, easing the load on the NHS. This move will help improve patient outcomes, and support access for patients.”
To find out more about how Specsavers is advocating for change in audiology care commissioning take a look at the It’s Time To Talk About Hearing report, which was formally launched at the event, available here.
[i] Specsavers commissioned research carried out in October 2024 by OnePoll among 2,000 working adults. (Fieldwork conducted between 16.10.24-21.10.24)
[ii] Arrowsmith, L., 2014. Hidden Disadvantage: Why people with hearing loss are still losing out at work. [pdf] Available from: Hidden-Disadvantage-full-report.pdf (rnid.org.uk) Last Accessed: October 2024 (Of those respondents who had retired, two-thirds (66%) said they’d retired ‘early’ and, of those, 41% said this was related to hearing loss.)
[iii] Department for Work and Pensions and NHS England (2017) What works: Hearing loss and employment. https://www.england.nhs. uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hearingloss-what-works-guide-employment.pdf Last Accessed: October 2024
[iv]NHS England. Direct access audiology waiting times data. February 2020 (latest available data). Available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/direct-access-audiology/daa-data/ (ADWT – Direct Access Audiology Waiting Times Data – Feb20 (CSV, 1062K)) Last accessed: October 2024
[v] Data on file
