LOF funding provides new audiology equipment.

Thanks to funding from Knighton Community Hospital’s League of Friends (LOF), patients in the area can now have some hearing test  appointments locally rather than travel.

The LOF has provided money to enable Powys Teaching Health Board to purchase an audiometer for Knighton Community Hospital. An audiometer is an instrument used to measure hearing levels to identify hearing loss and create a prescription for a fitting of a hearing aid.

“Since providing the equipment, 121 patients have been able to attend Knighton Community Hospital for their hearing test, and many of these patients then had their hearing aid fitted locally,” said Rachel Duprey, who is Powys Teaching Health Board’s Professional Head of Audiology.

Ms Duprey explained that patients’ first appointments may still take place at Llandrindod Wells’ hospital but then, depending on the patient’s condition, most appointments can continue at Knighton.

Susan Wilson, is Chair of the League of Friends. She commented: “The League of Friends have been delighted to help in this way as well as in other projects to ensure the ongoing work of Knighton Hospital, so serving the local community.”

This new service underlines the health board’s commitment to maintaining services at the hospital in Knighton.  David Farnsworth is the health board’s Assistant Director of Community Services: “We are working hard to increase the number of outpatient appointments at the hospital so that we can reduce the need for travel – creating savings of time and money for our patients as well as reduce carbon emissions.

“As well as this new audiology service at Knighton, we are also now having regular visits by the Public Health Wales diabetic retinopathy eye screening team.”

Mr Farnsworth added: “The LOF has also provided funding for the development of the hospital garden and this work is planned to go ahead this year. We are truly grateful to these volunteers for the excellent fundraising work they carry out.”

Photo – Christina Regi of the health board's Audiology Team is shown operating the Audiometer.