"The waiting times are extreme", says the association's chairman Ulf Olsson in a press release.
The worst is in Norrbotten where patients may have to wait up to 35 months, according to the survey from HRF.
"We meet desperate professionals who are forced to take sick leave and retirees who are isolated from social contact".
In twelve of the country's 21 regions, the waiting time is between one and three years. The long queues are mainly due to the fact that hearing care is understaffed in several regions, according to HRF.
"Now the regions must act, to prevent this from developing into a public health crisis", says Olsson and emphasizes that untreated hearing loss is the main risk factor for the development of dementia.
