Durham County Councillor Reg Ord, has been left struggling to understand those around him after a virus damaged his hearing. Despite being eligible for a cochlear implant, 70-year-old Reg was horrified when he was told that, because of an increase in demand, funding for cochlear implants in the region had run out.

In a letter to Simon Playdell, chief executive of the South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, Councillor Ord said he felt let down by the system.

A trust spokeswoman said the regional NHS commissioning group, known as Norscore, had agreed to fund 20 cochlear implants this financial year, a rise from 17 last year. However, a sudden rise in demand means the quota has already been exceeded.

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