| 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.
Where can I refer myself?
It depends on where your GP practice is. We have not found a single NHS list of self-referral areas that we could open and date. Ask the GP surgery what applies locally.
One provider publishes its own list. 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: "If you are eligible for NHS services based on the postcode of your GP practice, most areas will allow you to self-refer at a Specsavers store of your choice." It adds: "If your area is NOT listed below, you will need to visit your GP and ask them for a referral."
The areas it listed were: Black Country, Bolton, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, Cheshire – East & South, Coventry, Derbyshire, Devon, Durham, Gloucestershire – South, Hampshire – North and West, Herefordshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, London – South East, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Somerset – North, Staffordshire, Sunderland, Surrey Downs, Teesside, Tyneside – South, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
Specsavers also says "additional variations set by the local NHS Integrated Care Boards around eligibility for the service can apply". This is Specsavers' list for its own NHS service. It is not a list of every NHS service that accepts self-referral.
Does self-referral depend on my home address?
No, on your GP practice. Specsavers says: "Your eligibility depends on the address of the GP you are registered with, not your own address."
Is NHS self-referral free?
Yes, if you are eligible. Specsavers' NHS page says the NHS funds hearing aids for eligible patients, including "all ongoing aftercare, batteries and hearing aid consumables". The NHS website (page last reviewed 18 October 2023) says NHS aids are free on long-term loan. Self-referral to the NHS is not the same as paying privately. Boots Hearingcare says it does not provide NHS services.
When should I see a GP instead?
When something has changed quickly or in one ear. NICE guideline NG98 (last updated 2 October 2023), recommendation 1.1.6, says GPs should consider a specialist referral for hearing loss mainly in one ear, hearing that fluctuates, or vertigo that keeps coming back. If you have sudden hearing loss in one ear, sudden dizziness with hearing loss, or bleeding from the ear, do not self-refer and do not use a form: ask for a same-day GP appointment, call 111, or go to A&E.
What if self-referral is not available where I am?
You have two routes. Ask the GP for a referral (see GP referral), or go private and book directly. NHS England's July 2026 data (DM01, published 10 September 2026) show 41.5% of people waiting for an NHS audiology assessment had waited six weeks or more. See NHS wait and hearing aid cost.
Can I refer myself for NHS hearing aids?
In some areas. Elsewhere you need a GP referral. Ask the GP surgery what applies locally.
Does NHS hearing self-referral depend on where I live?
It depends on where your GP practice is. Specsavers says eligibility for its NHS service depends on the address of the GP you are registered with, not your own address.
Is self-referral to NHS audiology free?
Yes, if you are eligible. The NHS website says NHS hearing aids are free on long-term loan, and Specsavers says the NHS funds aftercare, batteries and consumables for eligible patients.
Want one clinic to call you? Request a private hearing appointment. Free for you; the clinic may pay us.