Written Question · S5W-24990 · Session 5
What data it gathers on the number of people who are deaf, deafblind, deafened and hard of hearing, and what methods it uses to gather accu…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government what data it gathers on the number of people who are deaf, deafblind, deafened and hard of hearing, and what methods it uses to gather accurate data.
The answer
Scotland’s Census, last conducted in 2011 and next due to run in 2021, gathers population-wide data on self-reported long term conditions, including hearing loss and sight loss. A variety of reports and data are available to download including from https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/news/census-2011-release-3f-detailed-characteristics-health-scotland . Data are available for large areas, such as NHS Boards, as well as for smaller areas. They can be broken down in many different ways, including by age.
Additionally, there are a range of national surveys commissioned by the Scottish Government, including (but not limited to) the Scottish Health Survey and the Health and Care Experience Survey, which include questions on whether respondents have hearing loss or sight loss. These surveys are however based on samples of the population and, as with the census, the questions asked don’t differentiate between degrees of sight/hearing loss.
Through the work of local See Hear leads partnerships, sensory screening projects have been introduced in care homes in some local areas, for example in Perth and Kinross, Dumfries and Galloway, Angus, North Lanarkshire, Highlands, Edinburgh and Lothian, Ayrshire and Arran, Orkney and Forth Valley.
The Scottish Government is currently consulting with See Hear Leads to gather further information on the prevalence of sensory impairment and the reach of services to identify gaps and opportunities for service improvement. See Hear partnerships remain responsible for identifying local priorities, developing work streams, timescales and implementation plans, based on local priorities and need.
We are aware that some people with hearing loss go to private providers for hearing tests and provision of aids, and information on hearing loss for those people who go through the NHS is not routinely collected, so any data held by the NHS on hearing loss would not be comprehensive.
However, Action on Hearing Loss estimates there to be around 945,000 people with hearing loss in Scotland, one in six of the population, and of those, 70% are over 70.
Additionally, there are a range of national surveys commissioned by the Scottish Government, including (but not limited to) the Scottish Health Survey and the Health and Care Experience Survey, which include questions on whether respondents have hearing loss or sight loss. These surveys are however based on samples of the population and, as with the census, the questions asked don’t differentiate between degrees of sight/hearing loss.
Through the work of local See Hear leads partnerships, sensory screening projects have been introduced in care homes in some local areas, for example in Perth and Kinross, Dumfries and Galloway, Angus, North Lanarkshire, Highlands, Edinburgh and Lothian, Ayrshire and Arran, Orkney and Forth Valley.
The Scottish Government is currently consulting with See Hear Leads to gather further information on the prevalence of sensory impairment and the reach of services to identify gaps and opportunities for service improvement. See Hear partnerships remain responsible for identifying local priorities, developing work streams, timescales and implementation plans, based on local priorities and need.
We are aware that some people with hearing loss go to private providers for hearing tests and provision of aids, and information on hearing loss for those people who go through the NHS is not routinely collected, so any data held by the NHS on hearing loss would not be comprehensive.
However, Action on Hearing Loss estimates there to be around 945,000 people with hearing loss in Scotland, one in six of the population, and of those, 70% are over 70.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S5W-24990 by reference.