| 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.
How does a GP referral for hearing work?
The NHS website (page last reviewed 12 November 2024, opened 5 October 2026) says you can get a free hearing test and treatment on the NHS, and "a GP can refer you or your child to a hearing specialist (audiologist) who can do the test". Its hearing aids page (last reviewed 18 October 2023) says that if the specialist recommends aids, they are provided free on long-term loan, and another appointment is arranged a few weeks later to check how things are going.
Some areas also let you refer yourself to an NHS hearing service. Ask the GP surgery what applies locally. See self-referral.
What might the GP check first?
Wax and infection. NICE guideline NG98 (last updated 2 October 2023), recommendation 1.1.1, says that for adults who first present with hearing difficulties, the GP should "exclude impacted wax and acute infections such as otitis externa, then arrange an audiological assessment". If wax needs removing, that is a different appointment.
When is a referral urgent?
NICE NG98 recommendation 1.1.2 says hearing loss that developed suddenly, over three days or less, within the past 30 days, should be referred immediately, to be seen within 24 hours by an ear, nose and throat service or an emergency department. The NHS website says to ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if hearing has been getting worse over days or weeks, or comes with earache or discharge. If you have sudden hearing loss in one ear, sudden dizziness with hearing loss, or bleeding from the ear, do not use a form: ask for a same-day GP appointment, call 111, or go to A&E.
NICE NG98 recommendation 1.1.6 also says GPs should consider a specialist referral for hearing loss in one ear, hearing that fluctuates, one-sided or pulsing tinnitus, or vertigo that keeps coming back. That is a conversation for the GP, not for us.
Where can a GP referral send me?
To an NHS audiology service. That may be a hospital or a community provider. Specsavers' NHS 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 says: "Please note we do not provide NHS services."
How long is the wait after a referral?
NHS England's diagnostics data for July 2026 (DM01, published 10 September 2026) show 51,758 of the 124,667 people waiting for an NHS audiology assessment had waited six weeks or more: 41.5%. That is the wait for the assessment, not for aids to be fitted. See NHS wait for your area's board.
Do I need a referral to go private?
No. Private clinics and high-street chains take bookings directly, and a chain test is often free. The aids are the cost. See hearing aid cost and free hearing test.
What should I tell the GP?
- When you first noticed the change, and whether it is one ear or both.
- Whether it came on suddenly or slowly.
- Any ringing, dizziness, pain or discharge.
- Whether you work, or have worked, in noise.
- Whether you would consider a community NHS provider if one is available.
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.
Do I need a referral for a private hearing test?
No. Private clinics and high-street chains take bookings directly, and a chain test is often free. The aids are the cost.
What happens after a GP refers me for a hearing test?
An NHS audiologist tests your hearing. The NHS website says that if aids are recommended they are free on long-term loan, and another appointment is arranged a few weeks later to check how things are going.
Want one clinic to call you? Request a private hearing appointment. Free for you; the clinic may pay us.