Friday 14 November 2008

Warning over MP3 volume levels

Listening to an MP3 player at its highest volume for one hour a day is enough to seriously damage people's hearing, according to a study for European politicians.

It claims being exposed to loud music could lead to people getting tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.

The condition already affects more than 3 million people in the UK and it's feared a million more are at risk.

Read the full article (external link, opens new browser window)

The victims: same claim, different result

John Nichol's faith in solicitors has been shattered by the way that his hearing-loss compensation claim was handled. If he could compare notes with another former miner, Stephen Platko, his disillusionment would be all but complete.

The two men, both aged 54, live a few miles apart in the heart of the former coalfield in Nottinghamshire. Both spent 22 years underground, from 1971 to 1993, and each suffered damage to his hearing caused by the use, without adequate protection, of excessively loud machinery.

Read the full article (external link, opens new browser window)

Britain's healthcare system 'worse than Estonia's'

Britain's healthcare system is worse than Estonia's, according to a survey on patient experience. Of 31 European countries, Britain came 13th, just above Hungary, for patient satisfaction.

But Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, condemned the data as "flawed" and claimed that some of it was out of date.

The NHS improved its position on the same index last year, when it came 17th, but was brought down by the length of waiting lists and access to drugs.

Read the full article (external link, opens new browser window)