Here at the World of Sound you can find out more about cochlear implants and how they can literally open up ‘a world of sound’ to profoundly deaf children and adults.

World of Sound will champion the cause of cochlear implants by discussing the issues surrounding this sometimes controversial procedure and by talking to professionals and members of the public to put forward their points of view.

Almost 9 million people in the UK suffer from deafness or experience significant hearing difficultly. According to deafness research uk, hearing loss is the most sensory disability in the developed world and is one of the major reasons for people to be referred to hospital.

There are108,000 people with severe to profound deafness aged between 16 and 60 and 840 babies are born each year in the UK with significant deafness according to the RNID.

Since the introduction of the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme for all babies in England from March 2006, more parents than ever before are able to consider a cochlear implant for their child to allow them the chance to participate in a hearing world.

There are more than 4,000 adult and children cochlear implant users in the UK today. There are 20 cochlear implant centres around the country. So you may well be thinking — the figures just don’t add up, why so many profoundly deaf people and so few cochlear implants?

Well, obviously a cochlear implant is not going to suit everyone. But the main reason for so few cochlear implant procedures is lack of funding. There simply isn’t enough money to go round in the NHS for cochlear implants — deafness, after all, isn’t life threatening like heart disease or cancer.

Yet the pro-cochlear implant lobby does not want to take money away from other treatments or operations. They just want a fair share and that is obviously not happening.

What is worse is that the funding situation varies from one part of the country to another, from one Primary Care Trust (PCT) to another. Otherwise knows as postcode lottery funding.

So that is the first subject open for discussion on World of Sound. Read about the funding issues for cochlear implants from the personal viewpoints of mums and dads, NHS professionals and Cochlear Implant Programmes.

If you want to join the debate, World of Sound with your views.