OAP, 81, kept waiting for hearing aid

David Peverelle from East Borough in Wimborne says he will probably die before the problem gets sorted because he has been put off so often.

Mr Peverelle - who will be 81 on St Valentine's Day - came forward after reading a report on the waiting lists in the Daily Echo.

Dorset MP Chris Chope is on the warpath about the crisis - he won an adjournment debate in the House of Commons saying the NHS audiology service was in crisis.

Mr Peverelle says he has been repeatedly fobbed off by Bournemouth's audiology department.

In his latest letter - dated May last year - he wrote: "Being 80 years of age, it will in all probability be that I shall have passed this life without a digital hearing aid and so shorten your waiting list. You state referrals have dramatically increased from 350 to 650.

"That I accept, but that must be since October 2002 so I fail to understand why anyone who was on the waiting list then should be affected by this increase."

But he did not even get an answer to that letter until August when he complained again.

Retired car dealer Mr Peverelle has sought private help but has been told that he would have to pay not just for the appointment but for the device, servicing and parts if he did not get an aid on the NHS.

"I think I should have a digital hearing aid," said Mr Peverelle who has eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

"My hearing has deteriorated a lot in the past year.

"When I go into a room of people it's like the monkey house from the zoo.

"You can't hear what people say and it's getting gradually worse."

Debbie Fleming, Chief Executive of Bournemouth Primary Care Trust, said: "We are very sorry to hear that Mr Peverelle has been waiting for some time to be seen by the audiology department.

"While we cannot comment on individual patient cases, we would like to encourage Mr Peverelle to make contact directly with the department so that the circumstances around his long wait may be investigated."