Seacroft Hospital: Apology after deaf man told he must wait three weeks for hearing aid fix
A Leeds man with a significant hearing impairment was left feeling frustrated after being told he’d have to wait three weeks for his hearing aid to be fixed.
Gareth Fradley, 47, has suffered with his hearing since he was a child and wears hearing aids in both ears. He claimed that the service at the hearing and balance centre at Seacroft Hospital has deteriorated in recent years.
Earlier this week, one of his devices malfunctioned leaving him struggling to hear. But when he tried to book an emergency appointment with a consultant, he was told there would be a three week wait.
.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
“It’s just a simple repair job, I’m not asking for a major appointment,” said Mr Fradley, a senior finance officer from Wortley.
“It affects my work if I can’t hear. If you’ve got to wait weeks for an urgent repair, you’d be better off going private.”
Mr Fradley, who lives in Kippax, complained to the trust’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service - and was offered an appointment the following day. The trust has since apologised for “any miscommunication”.
But he added: “I still have concerns about the audiology department in Leeds.
“If I hadn’t challenged it, I’d have been waiting for three weeks, which is just wrong. In general, the audiology department in Leeds is just shocking.
“The centre in Seacroft is tiny. For that to be the main point of service is pretty poor. Years ago, it was a big department in St James’ Hospital. Now it’s a tiny room in Seacroft. Audiology just seems to have been put on back burner.”
Dr Magnus Harrison, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are sorry for any miscommunication with Mr Fradley.
“His appointment has now been booked and his liaison with our Patient Experience Team has been closed. We have listened to his concerns, which will help us continue to improve our service.”