PARTIALLY deaf people in Wilmslow are losing out on hi-tech hearing equipment because of inequalities in the NHS, according to MP George Osborne.
He believes hundreds of deaf people are left restricted and isolated by the governments' decision to hand out modern digital hearing aids to only 20 NHS trusts in the country.
And this week he signed a House of Commons motion calling for the government to roll-out the scheme nationally.
"I want everyone in Tatton who needs a digital hearing aid to be able to access one under the NHS, not just people lucky enough to be near a First Wave trust," said Mr Osborne.
"It is vital that the government announces a roll-out across the country and halts the enormous inequality between public and private hearing aid provision.
"Digital hearing aids have the power to radically improve the quality of people's lives."
Mr Osborne added his voice to a campaign by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People - who are fighting to force the government to replace out-dated hearing aids across England.
RNID chief executive James Strachan said: "It is fantastic to get this support.
"Millions of lives could be revolutionised by digital hearing aids for a cost per head of less than a day in hospital.
"Most of NHS hearing aid provision remains firmly stuck in the 1970s, leaving people increasingly isolated and restricted by their hearing.
"Here is a major opportunity for the NHS to prove that two million hearing aid users in this country that it really can modernise itself to improve their lives."
