BROMLEY NHS Trust is struggling to cope with the demand for hearing aids in the borough.

The Princess Royal in Orpington cannot cope with an ageing population, increasing demand for digital hearing aids, and a shortage of audiologists.

Patients are being told they can expect to wait up to three years for a hearing aid – the longest wait anywhere in the UK.

The wait was uncovered in a report published last week by the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (BSHAA).

A Bromley NHS Trust spokesman said 1,062 people are currently waiting for hearing aids to be fitted and the waiting time is “approximately 30 months”.