| Provider type | Test price | Aid from-price | Aftercare | Source | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHS NHS audiology, after a GP referral (or self-referral where your area allows it) | Free | Free, on long-term loan. Usually behind-the-ear; occasionally receiver-in-the-ear | Batteries, repairs and follow-up appointments free. There may be a charge to replace a lost or broken aid | nhs.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Audika Hearing-care chain (Hidden Hearing and Amplifon UK are now Audika) | Free, age 19 and over | No from-price published. Audika says it "can't give you an exact price" before a test | Servicing for the life of the aid; 24-month warranty; 60-day money-back guarantee; batteries free for three years. Optional Oneplan cover from £75 a year | audika.co.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Boots Hearingcare High-street pharmacy chain | Free in store | From £695 a pair (Essentials). Rechargeable from £995. Top tier from £4,195 | Lifetime aftercare; up to four years' warranty; 90-day money-back guarantee; annual hearing tests | bootshearingcare.com | 5 October 2026 |
| Specsavers High-street optician chain | Free in store | From £500 a pair (Advance range). Listed models up to £3,000 a pair. Rechargeable from £1,000 | Aftercare with a two-year follow-up; four-year warranty; 100-day money-back guarantee; charger or four years' batteries | specsavers.co.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| All About Hearing Independent audiologist, Suffolk | £30 hearing screening (30 minutes, pass or fail) or £60 comprehensive assessment (75 minutes) | Devices from £999. The page does not say whether that is per aid or per pair | Fitting, manufacturer warranty and an aftercare programme included. Length not stated | allabouthearing.co.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| The Hearing Specialist Independent audiologist, south-west London (four clinics) | £59 assessment | From £1,695 a pair. Single aids from £798. Premium tier up to £4,400 a pair | Four-year warranty and four years of unlimited aftercare included | thehearingspecialist.co.uk | 5 October 2026 |
- Boots Hearingcare: The same Boots page also says, in general terms, that private aids "typically start from around £695 per device". Its own price line says £695 per pair. Ask for the quote in writing. (checked 5 October 2026)
- Specsavers: Specsavers says other levels of branded technology are available beyond the models it lists, so £3,000 is the top of its published list, not a ceiling. (checked 5 October 2026)
Each row is the provider's own published wording, opened by Pete on 5 October 2026. Rows are grouped by type and listed alphabetically within each type. That is not a ranking. Prices are for a pair unless the row says otherwise. A provider may change a price at any time; its written quote is what counts. We delete a row we cannot re-open. Listing a provider here does not mean it is a partner of ours. Full list on Sources.
What can this site do, and what can it not do?
This is not medical advice. We are not a clinic, not the NHS, not an audiologist and not a hearing-aid shop. We do not test hearing, fit aids, diagnose, read an audiogram or hold an appointment. We cannot tell you whether a hearing aid would help you.
Do not use this form if you have sudden hearing loss in one ear, sudden dizziness with hearing loss, or bleeding from the ear. NICE guideline NG98 (last updated 2 October 2023) says hearing loss that came on over three days or less, within the last 30 days, should be seen by a specialist within 24 hours. Ask for a same-day GP appointment, call 111, or go to A&E.
What we can do: show the prices we opened and dated, explain the NHS and private routes, and, if you ask, pass your request to one independent audiology clinic that covers your area. That is free for you. The clinic may pay us.
How does asking a clinic to contact you work?
- Test or aids. A hearing test tells you where you stand. Hearing aids are a separate decision after it. The test is often free; the aids are where the cost is.
- One ear or both. Say which. A change in one ear only is worth raising with a GP first. How many aids, if any, is for you and the audiologist after the test.
- Clinic or home. Most people go to a clinic. A home visit is a different product. No partner clinic takes home-visit requests yet, so we only pass on clinic requests.
- Ask one clinic to contact you. Use the form. One partner clinic may call or email you. Nothing is booked until you agree a time and a price with them.
What do you get on the NHS?
The NHS website (page last reviewed 18 October 2023, opened 5 October 2026) says a GP can refer you to an NHS hearing aid provider. If aids are recommended, they are provided free on long-term loan. Batteries and repairs are free, and follow-up appointments and aftercare cost nothing. There may be a charge if you lose or break an aid. The NHS website says NHS aids are usually the behind-the-ear type, or very occasionally receiver-in-the-ear.
What do you get if you pay?
More choice of style, and you can book directly. The NHS website says paying privately "may mean you can pick from a wider range of hearing aids, including the smaller, less visible models". On 5 October 2026, private pairs started from £500 at Specsavers and £695 at Boots Hearingcare. Smaller and rechargeable models usually cost more. See hearing aid cost.
Which is quicker?
We cannot promise a private wait, because no one publishes one we can check. The NHS website says the wait for an NHS hearing aid "can sometimes be longer than the wait for private treatment". For the NHS assessment, NHS England's July 2026 data (published 10 September 2026) show 41.5% of people waiting had waited six weeks or more. See NHS wait.
Can I get NHS hearing aids at a high-street shop?
In some areas. Specsavers' NHS hearing page, opened 5 October 2026, says it is accredited by 30 integrated care boards in England to provide NHS hearing services, and that eligibility depends on the address of your GP practice, not your own. Boots Hearingcare's hearing test page, opened the same day, says: "Please note we do not provide NHS services."
Can I refer myself to NHS audiology?
Some areas allow it. Specsavers' NHS page says most of the areas where it holds an NHS contract let eligible people refer themselves at a store. Elsewhere you need a GP referral. Ask the GP surgery what applies locally. See self-referral and GP referral.
Should I tell a private clinic I am on the NHS list?
Yes. The form asks whether you have already tried the NHS, so the clinic knows where you are. Say if you already have a recent hearing test result. A clinic may still want to test you itself before recommending anything.
Are NHS hearing aids as good as private ones?
We cannot judge that, and it depends on your hearing. The NHS website says NHS aids are usually behind-the-ear, and that paying privately may give a wider range, including smaller, less visible models.
Do I need a GP referral for NHS hearing aids?
Usually. Some areas let you refer yourself to an NHS hearing service. Ask the GP surgery what applies locally.
Can I go private and stay on the NHS list?
Ask the GP surgery or the NHS service that holds your referral. We do not publish a rule on that because we have not found one we could open and date.
Want one clinic to call you? Request a private hearing appointment. Free for you; the clinic may pay us.