rulefan
Tour Winner
Has any any experience of these? eg Boots, Specsavers, small standalone shops, independent opticians who now seem to do them.
Do they ever recommend NHS?
Do they ever recommend NHS?
Hearing Tests
- Thread starter rulefan
- Start date
Boots, and I suspect the others, want you to buy the hearing aids through them. Understandable as it's their business. They will not point you to the NHS, that loses them business.
The NHS offers pretty much the same aids for free.
My mum has been on digital aids through the NHS for years. My FiL recently went through the process. First off went to Boots because he is impatient. They quoted £4k for aids so he decided to wait in the NHS queue
.
The Boots test and advice was not bad, it just ultimately would have involved a lot of money.
The NHS offers pretty much the same aids for free.
My mum has been on digital aids through the NHS for years. My FiL recently went through the process. First off went to Boots because he is impatient. They quoted £4k for aids so he decided to wait in the NHS queue
.The Boots test and advice was not bad, it just ultimately would have involved a lot of money.
upsidedown
Tour Winner
Visited Dr's 2 weeks ago to get on the waiting list for hearing aids. Will be free on NHS, mate has them and loves them, Bluetooth and batteries galore
Neilds
Assistant Pro
Used to have to do annual test in the RAF. They always seemed to put the test booths in the noisiest part of the Med centre so you just ended up guessing most of the time. Also didn't help being an engine technician and I usually ended up doing an engine run just before the test so ears were usually buzzing anyway
pendodave
Tour Rookie
I have them through work. Can't believe I pass them every year.
Hoping to get them to pay for some before I retire...
Given that testing is pretty quick, is there any particular reason why there's a wait for NHS ones? Do they wait for old ones to be returned or something??
Hoping to get them to pay for some before I retire...
Given that testing is pretty quick, is there any particular reason why there's a wait for NHS ones? Do they wait for old ones to be returned or something??
rulefan
Tour Winner
How do you get on the NHS list? Do you just contact your GP practice?
RichA
Well-known member
I took Dad to Specsavers as a private patient / customer. Couldn't fault them.
The delay is not for the aids, it is to get tested.
upsidedown
Tour Winner
Yes went to the Dr's and talked about my hearing loss and tinnitus . he did say it could be up to 6 months
jim8flog
Journeyman Pro
What?
Maninblack4612
Tour Winner
I was on the NHS waiting list for about 4 months without hearing anything (!) Went back to the GP & asked to be referred to Specsavers. He said "Can't do that", I said "Yes you can". He referred me. I had an appointment within 10 days & walked out with free hearing aids. Have been getting replacements every three years & they just get better & better. Latest ones can be controlled via my phone & music sounds brilliant. Can't believe £3,000 ones could be much better.
rulefan
Tour Winner
Very interesting
srixon 1
Journeyman Pro
That was the same as in the RN. One time I did one in the afternoon after I had spent all morning in the dunker doing underwater escape training. My ears were full of water, and like you said, the booth was located in the noisiest place in the sickbay. I didn’t stand a chance and just randomly pressed the button on the machine if I thought I heard a noise in the headphones. The headphones barely covered your ears either. No idea how anyone ever passed.Used to have to do annual test in the RAF. They always seemed to put the test booths in the noisiest part of the Med centre so you just ended up guessing most of the time. Also didn't help being an engine technician and I usually ended up doing an engine run just before the test so ears were usually buzzing anyway
Red devil
Well-known member
I have the same as you. Had my last one in November. Could have sworn I'd failed.
"Right,that looks all good " was the cheery reply
Voyager EMH
Slipper Wearing Plucker of Pheasants
Mrs V told me that I have "selective deafness".
Well, she knows best so I didn't disagree.
Well, she knows best so I didn't disagree.
trevor
Head Pro
I used to have NHS aids years ago so they might be better now but I hated them and went private. The ones they used to give out were basic bottom of the range aids and used to amplify all sounds, not selective sounds like the more expensive ones. If out walking I remember all I could hear was traffic noise and birds tweeting but nothing from the person I was walking with. My sister last year got the NHS ones and also got rid and went to Boots. Obviously the more you pay the better the sound.
chrisd
Major Champion
I've had NHS one's for a number of years now but I hardly ever wear them. I had to be referred by my GP to the hospital and about 6 months ago I got called back for a recheck and they gave me a new, a more up to date pair.
In truth, I hardly ever wear them as I was told they've only been prescribed because my high pitch levels are not as good as they could be, the other levels of my hearing levels are fine so, particularly on the golf course there are lots of sounds that are distracting to me on occasions that I've worn them
In truth, I hardly ever wear them as I was told they've only been prescribed because my high pitch levels are not as good as they could be, the other levels of my hearing levels are fine so, particularly on the golf course there are lots of sounds that are distracting to me on occasions that I've worn them
Robster59
Tour Rookie
I've just got my first hearing aids today, from the NHS. In terms of length of time to get them, I first got referred from my old house, and we moved from there in September 22! Anyway I got tested about September of last year, and then finally got my new hearing aids today.
Like @chrisd I got them due to the high pitch levels, and my missus moaning at me that I never heard what she was saying (although how much of that is selective I refuse to comment). Also, when lots of people are talking, or I am in a noisy room, I really struggle to hear what people say.
Isn't the world noisy? I'm now hearing some things I've not heard before, and the volume on everything can be turned down. There was a woman with particularly noisy flip-flops in the shop I went after the fitting. The hearing aids are bluetooth and can connect directly to my phone for making calls and listening to audio, although the quality for music isn't great. There is also an app so you can adjust it for different circumstances. Batterys need to be changed about every 7-10 days but I am not sure connecting it to my phone via bluetooth will reduce that.
These are what they have given me.
danalogic Ambio Smart
They're quite unobtrusive in the way they look and feel.
And the app they use is
BeMore app
I'm also hoping that it may help my tinitus, which the audiologist says may happen but cannot guarantee it.
Like @chrisd I got them due to the high pitch levels, and my missus moaning at me that I never heard what she was saying (although how much of that is selective I refuse to comment). Also, when lots of people are talking, or I am in a noisy room, I really struggle to hear what people say.
Isn't the world noisy? I'm now hearing some things I've not heard before, and the volume on everything can be turned down. There was a woman with particularly noisy flip-flops in the shop I went after the fitting. The hearing aids are bluetooth and can connect directly to my phone for making calls and listening to audio, although the quality for music isn't great. There is also an app so you can adjust it for different circumstances. Batterys need to be changed about every 7-10 days but I am not sure connecting it to my phone via bluetooth will reduce that.
These are what they have given me.
danalogic Ambio Smart
They're quite unobtrusive in the way they look and feel.
And the app they use is
BeMore app
I'm also hoping that it may help my tinitus, which the audiologist says may happen but cannot guarantee it.
pendodave
Tour Rookie
I'd be really interested in your experience with this, as I suffer from tinnitus and, a few years ago when I saw a consultant, was told that hearing aids might help as the T might be caused by the brain overcompensating for missing frequencies.
I've never seen much evidence that this ever happens!
I take a regular hearing test as part of my job, but have never failed sufficiently to get free hearing aids.
Robster59
Tour Rookie
That's what I was told as well but he did say it only "may" do it. It may just be too early to say at the moment as I have just started using them.
In terms of getting them free, I got my doctor to refer me for an NHS test, and then they decide if I require them. The good thing is I can get replacement batteries free as well.
