The Tinnitus Clinic: New Guide to help GPs deal with tinnitus crisis

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A free guide is being circulated to GPs offering advice and information
on how to deal with the half a million tinnitus patients who leave their
surgeries distraught every year because they’ve been told nothing can be
done for them.

750, 000 GP visits per year in England relate to tinnitus, but two
thirds of patients leave without any treatment being offered because
there is no specific GP training on tinnitus management.

Now, an authoritative guide, The Tinnitus First Appointment Guide for
General Practitioners, is being sent to GPs to help them deal
specifically with early-onset tinnitus and advise patients on
self-managing some of their symptoms and make life more tolerable.

Mark Williams, one of the world’s leading experts on tinnitus and Chief
Audiologist at The Harley Street Tinnitus Clinic in London said; “A
national GP survey by the NHS National Institute for Health Research and
Nottingham University showed a large majority of GPs admitted to a lack
of clear, concise, accessible training on tinnitus management.

The Tinnitus First Appointment Guide for General Practitioners has been
produced by us to fill a gap left by the lack of early intervention
guidelines from the NHS, who do not regard it as a priority. In some of
the worst cases, patients have to be hospitalised for their own safety
because the incessant noise has led them to contemplate suicide.”

Tinnitus affects people of all ages, with one in ten of the UK’s
population experiencing seriously debilitating symptoms such as
depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation. Research shows that treating
people with first signs of tinnitus means a better outcome for them
later.

Tinnitus patient, Sheila Starritt of Tonbridge, Kent said: “My
experience was awful as I had negative and unhelpful comments from seven
doctors. I felt there was no one who understood the nightmare it was
causing me.”

Although the UK Department of Health introduced a Good Practice Guide in
2009 for the appointment of tinnitus services, there is still a lack of
standard practice in both GP and specialist care for tinnitus.

To download the Tinnitus First Appointment Guide and information on the
new Acute Tinnitus Therapy please

visit http://www.thetinnitusclinic.co.uk/downloads/GP_Brochure_Download.pdf

For further information on treatments please visit www.thetinnitusclinic.co.uk

Contacts

The Tinnitus Clinic
Tel 0203-597-4988 /0203-326-1777
Josephine
Swinhoe, MD
j.swinhoe@thetinnitusclinic.co.uk
or
Denise
Mubika, PRO
denise.mubika@thetinnitusclinic.co.uk