DEAF people whose lives could be transformed by new digital hearing aids are being turned away by the NHS, it emerged last night.

Thousands of people in the region who need hearing aids are being refused access to the high-tech models, which are far superior to existing NHS aids.

Even though the technology has been around for years, the only people in the North-East who can have digital hearing aids on the NHS are those living in Sunderland. In North Yorkshire, the only centre is Leeds.

The rest have to use outdated technology which is more than 60 years old. In some cases, patients are paying thousands of pounds to have the modern aids fitted privately.

Sunderland Royal Infirmary is one of 57 centres in the country to be allocated extra funding for the digital aids, as part of a Government pilot scheme.

Retired miner Albert Dunn, 78, of Spennymoor, County Durham, is typical of thousands of deaf people who would benefit from the new generation of hearing aids, but lives in the wrong place to receive one.

"My family doctor considers me a priority case, yet he must abide by the strict directive that anyone living outside the Sunderland area cannot be referred for hearing aid treatment," said Mr Dunn.

Joan Thompson, 58, of Bishop Auckland, has also been told that she cannot have one of the new aids because of where she lives. Despite being on incapacity benefit, Mrs Thompson has decided to borrow £2,000 to have digital aids fitted.

"It is disgraceful that these new hearing aids are being rationed in this way. It's a classic case of discrimination," she said,

Ron Clayton, hearing aid consultant at the private Amplivox/Unitone shop in Darlington, said he was constantly being asked about digital aids but the cost put many people off.

Prices range from around £800 to £2,500 each, he said.

A spokeswoman for the City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust said: "We have been given a limited amount of funding to pilot digital hearing aids. We have had a really positive reaction and I am sure they will eventually be rolled out to the rest of the country."

A Department of Health spokeswoman said the pilot scheme was being evaluated by the Institute for Hearing Research "on an ongoing basis".

"The full evaluation will be completed by the end of 2002 with a report published shortly thereafter.