Hearing Loss and Deafness Alliance

The Hearing Loss and Deafness Alliance, a group of voluntary, independent and professional organisations, has worked with NHS England and NHS Improvement on the Commissioning Framework for Hearing Loss Services. This is intended to help CCGs work with providers to deliver high quality, cost-effective hearing services and better access to services, while avoiding damaging cuts or rationing. As stated in the Commissioning Framework, Hearing Loss and Deafness Alliance members are available to help CCGs who would like advice or support with the commissioning of hearing services – you can contact us below.

What is the Hearing Loss and Deafness Alliance?

We are 32 organisations spanning the voluntary and independent sectors and professionals working in the NHS who have signed a joint declaration. The Alliance seeks to represent the needs of children, young people and adults with hearing loss, deafness and tinnitus across the UK on issues related to audiology, hearing services and public health. You can read about the challenge of hearing loss here.
The Alliance is currently working with NHS England to implement their cross Government strategy, the Action Plan on Hearing Loss, and their Commissioning Framework for adult hearing services – guidance for health commissioners in England. We also run events and respond to various consultations – see ‘updates’ on the right of this page.
You can contact the Chair of the Alliance, Brian Lamb at: brian.publicaffairs@gmail.com or you can contact individual members of the Hearing Loss and Deafness Alliance below:

Action on Hearing Loss (formerly RNID), the largest UK charity working for the 11 million people confronting deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss: www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk

The British Academy of Audiology, the largest association of professionals in hearing and balance in the UK. Their membership extends internationally and provides services in both the public and private sector: www.baaudiology.org

National Community Hearing Association, the voice of community hearing care throughout the UK, committed to better hearing care for all: www.the-ncha.com

The British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists is the professional body which represents and promotes the interests of the independent hearing aid profession mainly within Great Britain and Northern Ireland but globally too: www.bshaa.com

The British Society of Audiology is the leading UK organisation for all professionals interested in the latest science and its application in improving people’s lives with hearing and balance problems: www.thebsa.org.uk

Hearing Link works for all adults with acquired hearing loss in the UK, empowering them to remain fully active members of society by providing information, delivering training, and facilitating peer support: www.hearinglink.org

Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service supports people affected by hearing loss by providing a range of practical community services in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, West Essex and Suffolk: www.hhas.org.uk

Cambridgeshire Hearing Help aims to keep people in the county hearing as well as possible for as long as possible by supporting people with hearing loss and others who care for them, with advice, information and training and hearing aid maintenance: www.cambridgeshirehearinghelp.org.uk

BATOD (British Association of Teachers of the Deaf) is the sole professional association for Teachers of the Deaf in the UK: www.batod.org.uk

The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) is the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people: www.ndcs.org.uk

The UK Council on Deafness is the umbrella body for organisations working with people who are deaf or have a hearing loss: www.deafcouncil.org.uk

Action Deafness, a Deaf-led national business solutions charitable company: www.actiondeafness.org.uk

Sense is the UK charity for people who are deafblind, and has been supporting those with sensory impairments and complex needs for more than 60 years: www.sense.org.uk

The National Cochlear Implant Users Association campaigns on behalf of the tens of thousands of profoundly deaf people in the UK whose lives can be transformed by cochlear implants: www.nciua.org.uk

The Cochlear Implanted Children’s Support Group is an independent, voluntary registered charity run by parents providing contact, information, support and events for families before, during or after a child’s cochlear implant: www.cicsgroup.org.uk

The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) is the UK’s oldest and largest and largest healthcare association, founded in 1917. Our members make or sell healthcare and assistive technology products that aim to help people live more independently: www.bhta.com

The British Tinnitus Association is an independent charity and the primary source of information for people with tinnitus. It helps to facilitate an improved quality of life for people with tinnitus through a range of support options including support groups, a helpline and its website, while also taking steps to bring forward the day when tinnitus is cured. The charity works to inform and educate medical professionals and the community on what tinnitus is and how to manage it. It also supports companies and individuals to manage noise exposure to prevent the development of tinnitus. The British Tinnitus Association wants “a world where no one suffers from tinnitus”. They want to find better ways to manage tinnitus and, ultimately, to help find a cure. www.tinnitus.org.uk

National Association of Deafened People (NADP) is a user led organisation set up to provide information, support and campaign for deafened people and all those who have a hearing loss to lead an independent life without barriers: www.nadp.org.uk