| 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 |
| 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 |
- 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 does the NHS wait figure measure?
NHS England's monthly diagnostics return (DM01) counts the people waiting for 15 key tests at the end of each month, and how long they have waited since referral. Audiology assessments is one of the 15. In July 2026 (report first published 10 September 2026), 51,758 of the 124,667 people waiting for an audiology assessment had waited six weeks or more: 41.5%. It is the wait for the assessment, not for aids to be fitted.
The same report says the operational standard is that less than 1% of patients should wait six weeks or more, and that in July 2026 it was met for none of the 15 tests.
How has the wait changed in a year?
A little better, on this measure. In July 2025, 44.8% of people waiting for an audiology assessment had waited six weeks or more; in July 2026 it was 41.5% (NHS England DM01 report, published 10 September 2026). The list itself grew, from 121,481 to 124,667 people. In July 2026, 27,970 people (22.4% of the list) had waited 13 weeks or more.
Does the wait differ by area?
Yes, a lot. The table below is from NHS England's commissioner spreadsheet for July 2026, opened 5 October 2026. It shows the integrated care board (ICB) that covers each of our 15 cities. The figures are on a commissioner basis: patients are counted under the board responsible for their NHS care. Some boards have small lists, so one month can move the figure sharply.
| City | Integrated care board | People waiting | Waited six weeks or more | Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | NHS North East London ICB | 4,602 | 49.0% | July 2026 |
| London | NHS South East London ICB | 2,313 | 28.3% | July 2026 |
| London | NHS South West London ICB | 2,079 | 14.2% | July 2026 |
| London | NHS West and North London ICB | 5,208 | 28.5% | July 2026 |
| Birmingham | NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB | 1,911 | 31.8% | July 2026 |
| Manchester | NHS Greater Manchester ICB | 7,826 | 39.6% | July 2026 |
| Leeds | NHS West Yorkshire ICB | 5,006 | 24.5% | July 2026 |
| Liverpool | NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB | 3,504 | 24.9% | July 2026 |
| Sheffield | NHS South Yorkshire ICB | 2,694 | 38.8% | July 2026 |
| Bristol | NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB | 1,443 | 12.8% | July 2026 |
| Newcastle | NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB | 5,492 | 18.6% | July 2026 |
| Nottingham | NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB | 1,577 | 25.0% | July 2026 |
| Leicester | NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB | 2,433 | 45.3% | July 2026 |
| Southampton | NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB | 6,279 | 53.6% | July 2026 |
| Brighton | NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB | 8,062 | 44.6% | July 2026 |
| Cambridge | NHS Central East ICB | 14,555 | 73.1% | July 2026 |
| Oxford | NHS Thames Valley ICB | 3,222 | 42.6% | July 2026 |
| Reading | NHS Thames Valley ICB | 3,222 | 42.6% | July 2026 |
| England | All boards | 124,667 | 41.5% | July 2026 |
Source: NHS England, Monthly Diagnostics, Commissioner, July 2026, opened 5 October 2026. Oxford and Reading share a board. Cambridge sits in NHS Central East ICB.
Why do people quote different waiting figures?
Because they use different months and different measures. You may see older figures quoted, for example from 2025. We only use a month we have opened ourselves, and we name the measure. When NHS England publishes the next month, we replace this figure.
What can I do while I wait?
- Ask the GP surgery whether your area lets you refer yourself, or offers NHS hearing services at a community provider.
- Tell the GP if anything changes suddenly. Sudden loss in one ear, sudden dizziness with hearing loss, or bleeding from the ear needs a same-day appointment.
- If you choose to pay, compare published prices first: see hearing aid cost.
How long is the NHS waiting list for hearing aids?
NHS England publishes the wait for an audiology assessment. In July 2026, 41.5% of the 124,667 people waiting had waited six weeks or more. It does not publish a single national wait for aids to be fitted.
Is the NHS hearing wait the same everywhere?
No. In July 2026 it varied widely between integrated care boards. The table on this page shows the board for each of our 15 cities.
Will paying privately be quicker?
Often, but we cannot promise it. No one publishes a private wait we can check. Ask the clinic for its next appointment before you decide.
Want one clinic to call you? Request a private hearing appointment. Free for you; the clinic may pay us.