Nurse praises the workplace support of her 'hearing dog'

A senior staff nurse at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust can call on the help of a teammate who is by her side at all times – her trusty cocker spaniel.

Margo Harrison, who is profoundly deaf, is supported in her work at West Suffolk Hospital’s pre-admission unit by two-year-old Pebbles from the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity.

She can alert Ms Harrison to particular noises and is learning a signal for when there is a fire alarm. Pebbles wears a tabard bearing the name of the charity, and lies beside the nurse during patient consultations. This reminds patients to look at Ms Harrison when they speak to her, to enable her to lip read.

Ms Harrison said: ‘Having Pebbles has made a big difference at work – my colleagues adore her. She makes the patients smile, and often helps if people are feeling nervous.’