National Tinnitus Week and the tinnitus e-petition

National Tinnitus Week was recently held between February 11 and February 17, with its main aim being to promote greater public awareness of the condition. It is certainly needed, with around 5% of all adults in the UK experiencing some degree of its symptoms, amounting to more than 2.5 million sufferers in Britain.

The event, organised by the British Tinnitus Association, was fronted by nightclub impresario Peter Stringfellow. To mark the launch of the event, Mr Stringfellow wrote on the organisation's website, "With National Tinnitus Week approaching, I wanted to write to highlight the plight of sufferers throughout the UK and just how vital the British Tinnitus Association's (BTA) services are. For the most part, it's an invisible condition. I hadn't even heard of it, until one day, I began to notice a ringing in my ear. It's something that's never gone away. I wasn't surprised my ears were damaged I'd spent many happy years in bars and of course, my own nightclubs but it was a frightening discovery all the same. The more I looked into it the more distressing it got and I was categorically told there was no known cure.

"There are millions of tinnitus sufferers like me in the UK. It can be a very debilitating condition. I get many letters throughout the year from people asking for advice, it's surprising how many in show businesssuffer from it. They desperately need help but, all too often, don't know where to turn. That's where National Tinnitus Week comes in. From 11 to 17 February, the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) will be highlighting their work so sufferers know there's a charity dedicated to them one that provides information, advice and support and promotes the crucial message that people can learn to live with tinnitus, as I have."

Another purpose of the event was to boost the number of people signatory to an e-petition which urges the Prime Minister "to release governement funding to find a cure for tinnitus".

Those behind the petition hope to make into the top 100 e-petitions currently before government, as it currently stands at number 125 on the list, it is hoped that another 800 signatures can be found before the deadline for submission on 17 December 2008.

The week's events were preceded by an early day motion launched in the House of Commons by David Taylor MP. He told the House, "Tinnitus is a noise in the head with no corresponding external source, which severely affects almost 2.3 million or five percent of the adult population in the UK", and aimed to have the House agree to the motion that it:

• observes that sufferers can be debilitated and that symptoms can range from disturbed sleep to behavioural changes which can destroy relationships and turn healthy people into recluses unable to work or enjoy a normal life;
  
• believes that there needs to be an increased focus on this condition, giving it a proper priority within the NHS;
• accepts that increased funding and greater awareness would give immeasurable help to sufferers in the UK; applauds the efforts of the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) during National Tinnitus Week, 11th to 17th February;
  
• supports the BTA's decision to fund a three year Research Fellowship at the Ear Institute, UCL, which has been made possible by the generosity of members and by legacies;
  
• and therefore calls on the Government to match this funding and to give tinnitus a higher priority in the NHS.

If you wish to add your signature to the petition, http://www.petitions.pm.gov.uk.

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