Hearing aids

[scrumpyjack]

I guess about 80% of the cost of my Phonak hearing aids from specsavers is the retail cost of Specsavers and their audiologists, 4 years support etc etc.
In the invoice for my previous ones it was itemised that way (presumably for VAT purposes) and with the current ones if I lose them I thing the lady said it was £150 each ear to replace.

Surprising that no one has yet done for hearing aids what has happened to glasses, where I have the eye sight test and then get the specs from Goggles4u at less than a quarter of the specsavers price.

[GrahamPlatt]

You could well be right. As far as glasses are concerned I have worn them all my life although since I had my cataracts removed and artificial lenses I have not had my prescription changed and that must be 12/15 years ago. Wish they could the same for my hearing.

Dod

Dod, have you read the link in my original post on this thread (i.e. the first one I made)? The Airpods are tuneable to your hearing… You can change the frequency ranges they accentuate to suit yourself. If your hearing changes, change the frequency response accordingly.

[Dod101]

You could well be right. As far as glasses are concerned I have worn them all my life although since I had my cataracts removed and artificial lenses I have not had my prescription changed and that must be 12/15 years ago. Wish they could the same for my hearing.

Dod

Dod, have you read the link in my original post on this thread (i.e. the first one I made)? The Airpods are tuneable to your hearing… You can change the frequency ranges they accentuate to suit yourself. If your hearing changes, change the frequency response accordingly.

No but I will. I actually have (so I am told) rather difficult hearing. One ear is 'profoundly' deaf; the other merely not too good, but I am open to all ideas, so thanks.

Dod

[pje16]

No but I will. I actually have (so I am told) rather difficult hearing. One ear is 'profoundly' deaf; the other merely not too good, but I am open to all ideas, so thanks.

Dod

Sorry to hear that Dod
I can't offer any advice but what a fine pair we make
cheers
Paul

[AF62]

A nurse at a local surgery has told a relative that the NHS does not do hearing aids and that she would have to go private - complete nonsense of course but why would the nurse say that? Two possible explanations:

1. Nurse is ignorant of how the system works - unlikely but possible as she is the one who takes bloods.

2. Cost to the surgery. Apparently the NHS in her postcode sends people to Specksavers so does the cost come off the surgery's budget?

Anyone shed any light on this?

I suspect a misunderstanding.

In many areas Specsavers (and other private providers) are used by the NHS to conduct free NHS hearing tests AND to supply NHS hearing aids -

(https://www.specsavers.co.uk/hearing/he ... aring-aids).

This is usually in addition to being able to be referred by the GP to the audiologist at the patient’s hospital and have the hearing test and any aids supplied there.

Is it a good thing? It depends.

On the positive side getting an appointment at Specsavers, etc. is likely quicker and more local than the hospital - in many areas you can ‘self-refer’ and don’t need to see the GP first.

On the negative side there is obviously a possibility that Specsavers are not going to be entirely neutral about offering the free NHS aids and their extremely expensive private aids.

There is also the issue about selling ‘extras’ such as Specsavers discovering the patient has earwax and not being able to test until it is removed, and as GP surgeries will no longer do this, then it’s effectively a £50+ fee for the ‘free’ test.

As for the accounting mechanism for the Specsavers tests and supplied aids - no idea, but I can’t believe there is any financial benefit to the GP surgery not to see the patient.

There’s a great piece here detailing how to use Apple Airpods as (very effective) hearing aids.

https://toot.cat/@garry/110005074038777944

£250 or so instead of the £1000s the hearing aid shops do you for.

If you are an Apple user and even if not a hearing aid user but are just suffering from mild hearing loss at certain frequencies (e.g. age related) , then I seriously recommend using the ability to tune the output using an audiogram (either one from a professional health test or one of the self-test apps as it seriously improves the sound.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211218