BTA: Answer your critics !

[Brett_angel]

BTA people. You are getting slated on tinnitus talk. What are you actually doing for us ??? We want accountability ! I'm going to start pushing for this .

[Shellipops]

Hi Brett Angel, I sincerely hope you are doing ok.

Being mindful of the recent freedom of speech discussion, in my very personal opinion I find your comment "your being slated on tinnitus talk" akin to Jack the Ripper telling Mother Theresa "you're a very bad girl"....extreme I know but such is my strength of opinion.

Recently, owing to an overwhelming sense of gratitude, I paid the yearly BTA membership fee and made an additional small donation, coupled wirh the fact I have tinnitus I assume qualifies me under the collective "us".

When I was first stricken with this affliction I didnt know where to turn. GP was hopeless, so I turned to Dr Google.....I encountered " Jack the Ripper" which did not help and also the BTA.....and subsequently this forum, which personally for me, did.

Im now more experienced in my journey and have asked myself the question you have.

Without a Harry Potter wand or a serious lottery win I dont know what more anyone can do for us. The origins of our condition are many and varied and I dont think readily identifiable....science really is looking for a specific needle in a specific haystack...with the specific cure lying somewhere in the byre. The best we can hope for is expensive individually funded treatment...TRT, MBCT or less expensive talking therapy and group support. The BTA are a charitable organisation with the odd lottery funded cash injection....they maintain this forum, talk/support groups, expos and helplines and financially support research that they can within confines of the limited research being undertaken in the UK on these donations alone.

I, for one am very grateful for their existence and trust their goal of a world without tinnitus.

Im sure Nic will be along to address your concerns but for what its worth I would be lost without them.

Take care

S

[Xene]

Yay Bret_angel, if you really want facts and figures I would point you in the direction of Companies House which might/might not answer some of your questions. I warn you it's 40 pages long but your choice.

Kind Regards

Xene

[1Dar]

Hi Brett angel .. like Shellipops I also hope you are okay. I was like you about 12 months ago and thought I was going to go crazy. I’m on the couch now as night time it vamps up. I live in Australia and there isn’t as much support here as there is in England. I’ve found the BTA to be wonderful and have given me such terrific advice. I’ve tried everything imaginable , but realise now there isn’t a magical cure. Hang in there !

[NicBTA Partner]

Hello Brett_angel. We are aware of some people unhappy about us on the Tinnitus Talk forum. We are engaging with them over there, our Chief Executive is always open to dialogue and regularly comments, in the same way I try to respond to people in this forum.

In fact, from a comment raised, I'm in the process of revising a statement on one of our leaflets, so we do listen and respond!

As a registered charity, we do have a duty to be accountable to our donors and the community we help. We produce an impact report annually, which you can find at tinnitus.org.uk/our-impact

If you would like to be more involved and have your say about our activities, our Consultation Group is open for volunteers, do get in touch!

Best wishes

Nic (BTA Communications Manager and Forum Administrator)

[Ruud1boy]

Can we have a 'Don't Like' button?

[Lynne-H]

Personally I don`t give a monkey`s about what is going on on Tinnitus Talk. As far as I am concerned the BTA is the best place for support and information and becoming a member when I was at my worst was one of the best things that I did.

[Ruud1boy]

Accountability for what? Is it the BTA's fault that you have tinnitus? Or that the combined efforts of the worldwide medical community over the last 30/40yrs haven't figured out how to cure tinnitus yet?

The BTA are a small charity, trying to offer support to sufferers. Would you rather they weren't here? Unbelievable..........

[Brett_angel]

If it's a registered charity ,there needs to be accountability. It is there for a purpose and we should rightfully trying to push that forward. Btw, I never suggested it was anyone's fault i have tinnitus . You are not focusing on the point in hand.

[Ruud1boy in reply to Brett_angel]

What do you want from the BTA Brett?

Are your hopes for what the organisation can do realistic?

Your original post on this thread seemed unnecessarily aggressive towards the organisation and I think a lot of other posters have reacted to the tone of your message.

[Brett_angel]

Nic has already responded that the association is aware of criticism and addressing it. That's a positive at least.

[Angela-H]

I acquired tinnitus almost 4 years ago the day after a major operation, so I had to cope with two horrible medical conditions at the same time.

Thank goodness I found the BTA and especially the forum, following which I realised that I was not alone and there was always support and advice. I read all the positive posts and chose not to read the more distressing ones as I was already in a very dark place. I have also attended one of the BTA Information Days and the folk representing the BTA were very friendly and helpful - and understanding.

The question I would like answered is how much of the National Health Service budget is allocated to tinnitus research and care - I would guess that it is less than 1 per cent.

Thank you BTA.

Angela xx

[Ruud1boy in reply to Angela-H]

I'd be amazed if it was as much as 1% TBH Angela.

[Angela-H in reply to Ruud1boy]

Sadly you are most likely correct Ruud. I wonder if Nic knows the figure, please?

Angela xx

[Ruud1boy in reply to Angela-H]

Very interesting question Angela, not something I've ever thought about.

I saw some report recently that indicated the NHS consider that they are getting 'good value' for the money they do spend on tinnitus as c.25% of the patients they engage with see positive benefits from the treatment. My argument to that is that, even with all the increased awareness about T, the NHS still end up showing people the door, as there's not much they can do about it. We're effectively on our own.