New sessions to help people with hearing loss have been organised in Bath.

Monthly free sessions will be held for the rest of the year, hosted by the B&NES Health and Wellbeing Partnership, which involves the local council and the NHS.

They have been organised with the charity deafPLUS and will take place at its offices in Green Park Station, in a move to reduce the need for people to visit hospitals.

Partnership hearing therapy team spokeswoman Melanie Ward said: "This innovative programme recognises that going to hospital isn't always an appealing way of finding out how you can get the most out of life, even if you have a hearing loss.

"Hearing loss affects one in seven people in the UK. It is important to manage it well, from the beginning, and it's not always practical to go to the hospital."

Sessions will run from 10am to 4pm, with breaks to allow plenty of time to meet other people on each mini-course and ask how they cope with their hearing loss.

There will be practical workshops on making the most of hearing aids and on tactics to cope with hearing loss.

To find out more information or book a place at the first session next Wednesday, call 01225 446555 or email

bath.office@deafplus. org

.