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Peter: The big organisations which buy services for the NHS are attempting to save money and its affecting people with hearing loss we have already reported how North Staffordshire clinical commissioning group is considering stopping providing hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, and now this month, patients in Devon were told they will only be eligible to receive one hearing aid instead of two.听听 The reaction on twitter was immediate;听

Twitter responses: Woman 1"We have two ears because we need two ears.听听 Safety in traffic" Man 1"We have to stop a one hearing aid only plan becoming the future of the NHS" Woman 2 "You try wearing one ear plug for one day." Man 2 "So which ear gets the hearing aid? And which one goes without. Hash tag two ears for a reason."

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Peter: Well Louise Pritchard is executive director of services at the charity action on hearing loss. Louise we have heard a few opinions there but Northern Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group says the research it's seen shows one hearing aid has little impact on conversation only having one hearing .. why do you think one hearing aid is not enough?

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Louise Pritchard: I think there is clear and comprehensive evidence of the benefits of having two hearing aids.听 Having one hearing aid might be fine in one to one conversations but听 it鈥檚 essential to have two hearing aids in more demanding day to day situations so .. if someone is prescribed as needing two hearing aids, its vital that they actually get them. We also know from research and from evidence, that, two hearing aids will make sure that you can localise sound and you can make sure that you can continue to hear from both ears. And, actually in terms of reducing background noise, if you鈥檙e having two hearing aids using the loop system, then it means that you can actually do that, whereas if you only have one, you are going to find it much more difficult .. so in situations in work, in meetings, in social get togethers, it's crucial that people have their hearing loss and the support addressed in both ears if that is what prescribed clinically from the hearing service provider

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Peter: Now the commissioning group says it's taking measures to tackle its end of year deficit and that a lot of purchasers of treatments, we know they are in the same boat, isn鈥檛 anything that they attempt going to be controversial?

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Louise Pritchard: I can鈥檛 comment on their other measures, I mean, we are completely condemning their proposals which they made with no prior warning, no engagement and absolutely no consultation ..听 and these measures are potentially affecting over a hundred and fifty thousand people with hearing loss .. in that area, ..听 in terms of cost, two hearing aids an assessment, follow up and three years of ongoing support costs, cost the NHS less than four hundred pounds per patient so it's really great value and early intervention and giving that prescribed single only available treatment we think this is the important point here, that it is the only treatment available, option available.

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Peter: Can I just say the Devon group just last night announced it will now conduct a consultation. Is that听 a step in the right direction?

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Louise: Well clearly听 they should have done that to start with and the CCG have a duty under the health and social care act to involve patients, involve the public and also involve local authority scrutiny committees because they are accountable; they are their elected, our elected representatives and so . .in this case, the fact that it was such a shock on the third of December, just to be issued with this and it's caused a lot of anxiety and uncertainty ..听 and here today, if I had been referred by my GP to a hearing services provider in North eastern western Devon, what would I find now? If I needed two hearing aids would I get two hearing aids or would I just be given one? And so we don't now know that there will be consultations. You have said that will be announced on the nineteenth of December but you know that's听 just not satisfactory because there is a huge amount of uncertainty.

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Peter: Can I ask you what can you do now ? What is left to you to do?

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Louise: Well.. three things. We鈥檒l be urging the government to bring forward the long overdue cross government national action plan on hearing loss, to stop this post code lottery, and we will be mobilising local people to fight these actions. And we will be seeking an urgent dialogue with the CCG to get them to abandon these ill informed and none evident based proposals with immediate effect

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Peter: Louise Pritchard thank you very much indeed.