Understanding the impact of hearing impairment on working age British Armed Forces Veterans as a direct result of Service or acquired whilst in Service

Members of the Armed Forces are likely to be exposed to noise ranging from small arms fire to blasts from explosive devices, regardless of the amount of time spent in the services. As a result, hearing damage is one of the less visible but most common injuries sustained as a outcome of military service, yet there has been limited research carried out in the UK.  Previous research by the Royal British Legion found working age Veterans were over three times more likely than the wider population to report hearing difficulty, with other international studies further demonstrating the need for research to examine the extent and impact of this issue, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of Veterans in the UK.

The research will help us understand more about the issues Veterans experience, their thoughts about and experiences of support available, and what more can be done in future to improve services and outcomes.

RBL and University of Chester will use this insight to influence future policy and practice, as well as helping break new ground on the evidence base about hearing impairment in the UK, which we hope can lead to further development of knowledge and innovation in services in the long term.

Research will include:

• a thorough review of previous research
• analysis of primary healthcare data
• a large survey and interviews with Veterans experiencing hearing impairment
• a focus group to test findings and help develop recommendations.

Veterans aged 16-67 with hearing impairments acquired whilst in Service.

The work will be steered by an Expert Reference Group, bringing together experts with wide-ranging professional and lived experience including from the NHS, RCGP, law, military psychiatry, charities, academia, Ministry of Defence, and Veterans with hearing difficulties.