Charity reports and publications

Easy access to the latest reports, research papers and surveys from the main hearing charities in the UK are listed below.

‘It does matter’ (May 2024)

Our major new research report captures the impact that negative attitudes and a lack of understanding are having on deaf people and people with hearing loss.

The research was conducted in early 2024 and the report was published during Deaf Awareness Week (6-12 May 2024). Combining evidence from the biggest survey we’ve ever ran with our communities, and a poll of the general public, the research reveals a large divide between what the public think deaf people experience, and the reality.

The report also shows what ways in which deaf people and people with hearing loss would like the public to communicate with them.

In Their Own Words (Feb 2024)

Our new report on the state of UK audiology services in the UK was written in 2024 from research we conducted in the summer of 2023. It shares the latest insights into people’s experience of adult hearing services and their ideas for improving them.

Three areas of improvement were identified, including the need for:

• New service models, such as remote online support options and flexible drop-in clinics.
• Better service accessibility, such as accessible communication in waiting rooms, improving access to ear wax removal, and local community support.
• Encouraging new technology and patient empowerment, such as being able to test new hearing devices in different environments, for hearing devices to automatically tune themselves to the user’s needs, and users having greater control over hearing device settings.
• Some continued challenges around audiology include people not having their communication needs met, finding information gaps about assistive technology and hearing devices, and receiving limited support when adapting to hearing devices.

Blocked Ears, Blocked Access: The Crisis of NHS Ear Wax Removal in England (Feb 2024)

To create our 2024 Blocked Ears, Blocked Access report, we submitted Freedom of Information requests to the 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICB) in England, asking if they commission ear wax removal services in line with public health guidelines.

Our results show that less than half of ICBs are meeting recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Many don’t make ear wax removal services available to everybody, and some don’t commission the service at all, leaving thousands of people without access.