Hearing Loss
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
NHS-SpecSaver aids
I posted this before but it bears repeating.
You can see your GP and get an NHS Audiologic assessment. A basic NHS aid fits behind the ear (BTE) and a tube carries the sound into a large moulded plug, although not now in many trusts. Spec Savers has been contracted to provide hearing aid services. The use a much thinner tube, practically invisible, and tiny plugs that fit right in the ear.
For my first SS aids I was given plugs without any test fitting. One was painful and I asked for a smaller plug; it worked. Sometime latter I found the other ear was also sore. A second smaller plug fixed that.
You can then get a new test every year or sooner if there is a problem. You are entitled to replacement every 3 years.
You can see your GP and get an NHS Audiologic assessment. A basic NHS aid fits behind the ear (BTE) and a tube carries the sound into a large moulded plug, although not now in many trusts. Spec Savers has been contracted to provide hearing aid services. The use a much thinner tube, practically invisible, and tiny plugs that fit right in the ear.
For my first SS aids I was given plugs without any test fitting. One was painful and I asked for a smaller plug; it worked. Sometime latter I found the other ear was also sore. A second smaller plug fixed that.
You can then get a new test every year or sooner if there is a problem. You are entitled to replacement every 3 years.
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Hearing loss as a result of working in or around aircraft is something that the RAF has been aware of since at least the early 1960's. Some time back whilst working on Human Factors at Cranfield Uni. I came across a medic who had worked on a project at Farnborough looking into this problem. As far as he could remember this was either 1961/2. The project concluded that whilst most jets of the period were capable of damaging hearing the worst by far was the Gloster Javelin. This was apparently something to do with the harmonics created by the Sapphire engines mounted side by side.
PN. Interested in your advice that one is entitled to replacement aids every 3 years. At my last check up at my NHS hospital, the (jobsworth) audiologist advised that policy had changed and they only replace aids when they’re broke. My Oticon Spirit 3 aids are well over 5 yrs old, and another (less jobs worthy) audiologist suggested accidentally “dropping one in your coffee”. I went along some weeks later and said one aid was intermittent (couldn’t bring myself to deliberately damage it!), and the dear audiologist replaced the single “faulty” aid. So I have a nearly 6 yr old one and a new one, still both Oticon spirit 3. My surprise was that NHS hearing aids haven’t progressed at all in the last 6 years. My better half is convinced that my ability to hear things with these ones is getting markedly worse, though the NHS assessment disagrees.
Incidentally my hearing was noise induced as a result of Gazelle helicopters. I too made sure I had a record of the service doctor admitting it and took copies of my records before leaving the service (2005). The criteria for compensation in those days was you needed to demonstrate 20% disability to get a medical war pension. That equated to 50 dB over three frequency bands. Anything less than that was rewarded with a gratuity of around £1500 max. Nowadays you have a much bigger fight on your hands to prove service fault as they leverage in age related deafness. What helped my case was my indicating an intention to sue the RN for medical negligence as they continued to fly me knowing that my hearing had been damaged by flying. That smoothed the way for my claim to be accepted. I get around £300/month tax free.
Incidentally my hearing was noise induced as a result of Gazelle helicopters. I too made sure I had a record of the service doctor admitting it and took copies of my records before leaving the service (2005). The criteria for compensation in those days was you needed to demonstrate 20% disability to get a medical war pension. That equated to 50 dB over three frequency bands. Anything less than that was rewarded with a gratuity of around £1500 max. Nowadays you have a much bigger fight on your hands to prove service fault as they leverage in age related deafness. What helped my case was my indicating an intention to sue the RN for medical negligence as they continued to fly me knowing that my hearing had been damaged by flying. That smoothed the way for my claim to be accepted. I get around £300/month tax free.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
6z3, in 2017 I had problems with one aid. SpecSavers retuned it, i walked out and it was still u/s. Got a new appointment and the rule was replace both.
You need to challenge them.
You need to challenge them.
I assume that MOD would claim that any hearing impairment in some of us older generation would be age related and not work related. As for medical records when I retired I signed a form to allow them to be sent to my GP. Despite several requests he never received them. Cock up or conspiracy ? I always assume the former.
I also had to chase up the RAF to send my medical documents to the local GP after I'd left. They never cover that sort of practical thing at resettlement briefs...
Several months after I'd left, I received rather an acrimonious note from the dental section, demanding to know why I'd missed some appointment they'd made for me. My reply involved a sex and travel suggestion.
When I finally signed up with a local fang-farrier, I asked whether they needed my documents from the RAF. "Don't bother, they'll take ages and won't be much use - we can do a quick assessment of our own, which will be more accurate", they advised. Which indeed they did.
Several months after I'd left, I received rather an acrimonious note from the dental section, demanding to know why I'd missed some appointment they'd made for me. My reply involved a sex and travel suggestion.
When I finally signed up with a local fang-farrier, I asked whether they needed my documents from the RAF. "Don't bother, they'll take ages and won't be much use - we can do a quick assessment of our own, which will be more accurate", they advised. Which indeed they did.
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I had test done when I left they said i had less than 1% of totally disability and was entitled to nothing does anyone have contact details of someone that is dealing with this? I do receive a war pension (20%) for damage to both knees and a rotary cuff injury to me left arm.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Saw this advertised in a local garden centre and sent away for their literature. Anyone had any experience of this organisation (UK Veteran’s Hearing Help) who purport to be operating on behalf of the RBL? I haven’t yet pursued this “too good to be true” offer, as I suspect the catch may be that they fund the totally free top of the range aids perhaps by using your war pension that you’re entitled to if you pass the criteria for the aids. There again I’m a helicopter pilot and by definition am a brooding introspective anticipator of trouble. Anyone tried it? If true, they’ve got to be better than my BTE Spirits with the ear moulds that the NHS provide.
https://www.uk-veterans-hearing-help.co.uk/
PS. Anyone come across Colin, the retired Sqn Ldr in the “about us” section, or indeed any of the other, disturbingly good looking team!
https://www.uk-veterans-hearing-help.co.uk/
PS. Anyone come across Colin, the retired Sqn Ldr in the “about us” section, or indeed any of the other, disturbingly good looking team!
Join Date: Mar 2009
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Hearing Aids
Please see the thread "Hearing Aids" from Oct 2017, in particular my replies numbered 21, 44, and in particular no 49. For those who followed that thread my ENT referral finally came through after 80 weeks.
A342
A342
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
More importantly is the evidential trail to NIHL before retirement. If you were not medically downgraded and you are not applying immediately after retirement then they have wriggle room. You would then need expert evidence that your NIHL was not from recent cause.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I had test done when I left they said i had less than 1% of totally disability and was entitled to nothing does anyone have contact details of someone that is dealing with this? I do receive a war pension (20%) for damage to both knees and a rotary cuff injury to me left arm.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
If anyone wants the Submission I was asked to prepare by DOR(Sea) in 1998, just ask. It was intended to be topped and tailed into an Air Staff Requirement, and specifically mentions both fixed and rotary, in all Services. Also, groundcrew. At the time, legal advice was 'the clock runs on litigation from now', as a fully integrated Helmet ANR system had been deployed (i.e. powered from, and part of, the intercom), and the Digital ANR was under development to bring the noise dose below the mooted 75dB(A). Other in-ear devices that have become popular were rejected by the Services at the time - ANR was the agreed solution. OR did not proceed. It was left to whoever had the gumption to do it on any given aircraft. Some of the above comments are true - few gave a toss and I'm glad the court has taken a dim view.
I'd say the date could be pushed back a few years, as the RAF had run a programme for Harrier in the 80s, but run up against the problem of miniaturising it to fit in a Mk10 (?) helmet. However, they gave up instead of committing more to the Applied Research Package. Sea King AEW & HC4 picked it up again in 1994, and it entered service in 1998.
I'd say the date could be pushed back a few years, as the RAF had run a programme for Harrier in the 80s, but run up against the problem of miniaturising it to fit in a Mk10 (?) helmet. However, they gave up instead of committing more to the Applied Research Package. Sea King AEW & HC4 picked it up again in 1994, and it entered service in 1998.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
TUC, "At the time, legal advice was 'the clock runs on litigation from now', '
Not sure on this. If ear protection for engine noise for instance was not issued then people serving at that time, is pre-74 were highly susceptible to high tone deafness. It was certainly known.
From 1978 improved protection was available, but was it effective? Did everyone have it?
From about 1990 wearing such protection was enforced, but again, was it effective?
Simply setting a date does not address the issue of those already exposed compared with those who subsequently did not use the kit provided.
Not sure on this. If ear protection for engine noise for instance was not issued then people serving at that time, is pre-74 were highly susceptible to high tone deafness. It was certainly known.
From 1978 improved protection was available, but was it effective? Did everyone have it?
From about 1990 wearing such protection was enforced, but again, was it effective?
Simply setting a date does not address the issue of those already exposed compared with those who subsequently did not use the kit provided.
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Hearing Aids
6z3 I would suggest that you go, as in my entry above, to the Hearing Aids thread in 2017. My replies, numbers 21, 44 and 49 should help. I suspect that the website you pointed out does exactly the same as Specsavers did for me, help with the paperwork, do a hearing test and look at your service medical records to note any deterioration compared to your in/leaving service records. The Veterans Hearing Fund, which is where your website will be seeking funding from, is funded by governments Veterans Agency and administered by the Royal British Legion. Contact your nearest legion branch and they will help you sort things out. I was in our local shopping mall today and there were loads of screeching kids and babies. I switched my aids off. Blissful, they work both ways
Pontius
The clock I was speaking of ran from the date the risk of not meeting the 85dB(A) exposure limit could be reasonably eliminated, with a period of grace to allow for implementation. One would have to look up when the 85dB(A) limit was introduced.
Many such 'legal' requirements were only taken seriously when individuals lost Crown Immunity in the late 80s. As I alluded to, there was a very conscientious Group Captain who managed an Applied Research Package, but he got precious little support and when he retired the RAF lost a 'champion'. It was pure luck that the RN's first formal requirement to mention the limit as an 'essential' (Sea King AEW Radar System Upgrade) was endorsed just before he left, and he was tracked down and his files transferred. As it happened, no bidder was compliant (some suggesting the main gearbox be redesigned), so the MoD(PE) Directorate took it on at risk (using underspends/offsets). The trouble with this approach is that you get the naysayers queueing up to criticise you for wasting money - as they did, frequently. £758 per helmet mod set. £500k+ compo, and more to come? Do the arithmetic.
Hitherto, as you say, hearing loss was well-known, and presumably someone deemed it tolerable and ALARP - because there was no engineering solution for aircrew using a helmet, primarily because the electronics were not small enough to fit in an earshell. For example, Racal had a pretty good system (but not as good as MoD's), but it didn't fit. (They also supply a very simplistic broadband ANR for army vehicles, but that is unsuitable and unsafe in an aircraft).
The point I'm making is that the award to the serviceman will have been based partly on when the solution was available, and what MoD did about it. That was the legal advice to us in the early 90s. The practical problem was, OR would go to the scientists at Farnborough (superb), who would produce reams of reports full of mind-numbing decibel notation. OR would topple. The AEW programme used a different ploy, expressing it as 'allowable flying hours'. The s**t hit the fan when this was calculated to be a mere 59 hours per year (and the subject of a Jane's article), the alternative being to give an 8-aircraft squadron several hundred aircrew. Questions were asked in the House. £758 per helmet mod became a no-brainer, even to beancounters.
The clock I was speaking of ran from the date the risk of not meeting the 85dB(A) exposure limit could be reasonably eliminated, with a period of grace to allow for implementation. One would have to look up when the 85dB(A) limit was introduced.
Many such 'legal' requirements were only taken seriously when individuals lost Crown Immunity in the late 80s. As I alluded to, there was a very conscientious Group Captain who managed an Applied Research Package, but he got precious little support and when he retired the RAF lost a 'champion'. It was pure luck that the RN's first formal requirement to mention the limit as an 'essential' (Sea King AEW Radar System Upgrade) was endorsed just before he left, and he was tracked down and his files transferred. As it happened, no bidder was compliant (some suggesting the main gearbox be redesigned), so the MoD(PE) Directorate took it on at risk (using underspends/offsets). The trouble with this approach is that you get the naysayers queueing up to criticise you for wasting money - as they did, frequently. £758 per helmet mod set. £500k+ compo, and more to come? Do the arithmetic.
Hitherto, as you say, hearing loss was well-known, and presumably someone deemed it tolerable and ALARP - because there was no engineering solution for aircrew using a helmet, primarily because the electronics were not small enough to fit in an earshell. For example, Racal had a pretty good system (but not as good as MoD's), but it didn't fit. (They also supply a very simplistic broadband ANR for army vehicles, but that is unsuitable and unsafe in an aircraft).
The point I'm making is that the award to the serviceman will have been based partly on when the solution was available, and what MoD did about it. That was the legal advice to us in the early 90s. The practical problem was, OR would go to the scientists at Farnborough (superb), who would produce reams of reports full of mind-numbing decibel notation. OR would topple. The AEW programme used a different ploy, expressing it as 'allowable flying hours'. The s**t hit the fan when this was calculated to be a mere 59 hours per year (and the subject of a Jane's article), the alternative being to give an 8-aircraft squadron several hundred aircrew. Questions were asked in the House. £758 per helmet mod became a no-brainer, even to beancounters.
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Many years ago and a long time after I left the R.A.F my hearing was checked and I was given an award of, if I remember correctly, £1500. This was put down to flying several thousand hours in the left hand seat of a Shackleton listening to the mighty Griffons. Then a few years later ( don’t ask!), I was asked to go for a further test and was diagnosed at over 20% loss of hearing. I was given a war pension of £1500 annually, I had to pay back the initial award but have enjoyed many years of the present one. For those “Growlers” still with us, try again. Best wishes