| Provider type | Test price | Aid from-price | Aftercare | Source | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHS NHS audiology, after a GP referral | Free | Free, as a long-term loan | Batteries and repairs free. There may be a charge if you lose or break an aid and it needs replacing | nhs.uk | 7 October 2026 |
| Boots Hearingcare High-street pharmacy chain | Free adult hearing test | From £695 a pair (Essentials). Rechargeable from £995. Top tier (Platinum Plus) from £4,195 | Lifetime aftercare; up to four years' warranty; 90-day money-back guarantee (60 days for custom aids) | bootshearingcare.com | 7 October 2026 |
| Specsavers High-street optician chain | Free hearing test | From £500 a pair (Advance range). Rechargeable from £1,000 | Full aftercare including a two-year follow-up; four-year warranty; 100-day money-back guarantee; charger or four years' batteries | specsavers.co.uk | 7 October 2026 |
- Boots Hearingcare: the same 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 7 October 2026)
- None of these pages lists a separate price for a tinnitus appointment. Ask what the appointment includes, and what it costs, before you book. (checked 7 October 2026)
Each row is the provider's own published wording, opened by Pete on 7 October 2026. Rows are listed by type, then alphabetically. That is not a ranking. A provider may change a price at any time; its written quote is what counts. 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. That includes tinnitus that starts suddenly with sudden hearing loss in one ear. NICE NG155 (recommendation 1.2.3) says people with tinnitus and hearing loss that came on over 3 days or less, in the past 30 days, should be seen within 24 hours. The NHS tinnitus page says go to A&E or call 999 if you have tinnitus after a head injury, or with sudden hearing loss, weakness in the muscles of your face, or a spinning sensation. Do not wait for a clinic to call you. 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.
Can a hearing test help with tinnitus?
It can be part of the assessment. NICE guideline NG155, Tinnitus: assessment and management (published 11 March 2020, opened 7 October 2026), says in recommendation 1.4.1: "Offer an audiological assessment to people with tinnitus." The NHS tinnitus page (last reviewed 12 January 2024, opened 7 October 2026) says a GP will look in your ears for something they can treat, like an ear infection or a build-up of earwax, and "might also check for any hearing loss."
A hearing test shows how well you hear. It does not treat tinnitus, and on its own it may not explain the cause. We do not read test results and cannot tell you what is causing your tinnitus.
Will the tinnitus stop?
Nobody can promise that, and we do not. The NHS page says tinnitus is "not usually a sign of anything serious and may get better by itself." NICE NG155 recommendation 1.1.3 says people should be told it "may resolve by itself" and that "there are a variety of management strategies that help many people live well with tinnitus." Boots Hearingcare's own tinnitus page (opened 7 October 2026) says: "There's no single cure."
Do hearing aids help tinnitus?
Only some people are offered them. NICE NG155 recommendation 1.5.1 says to offer amplification devices to people with tinnitus "who have a hearing loss that affects their ability to communicate", and recommendation 1.5.3 says: "Do not offer amplification devices to people with tinnitus but no hearing loss." The NHS page says: "If you have hearing loss, hearing aids may be recommended." Whether that is you is for an audiologist after a test, not for us. Prices are on hearing aid cost.
When should I see a GP about tinnitus?
The NHS tinnitus page (opened 7 October 2026) says:
- See a GP if you have tinnitus regularly or constantly, if it is getting worse, or if it is bothering you, for example affecting your sleep or concentration, or making you feel anxious or depressed.
- Ask for an urgent GP appointment if you have tinnitus that beats in time with your pulse.
- Go to A&E or call 999 if you have tinnitus after a head injury, or with sudden hearing loss, weakness in the muscles of your face, or a spinning sensation (vertigo).
What does the NHS offer for tinnitus?
A GP first. The NHS page says the GP may refer you to a specialist for further tests and treatment. If the cause is unknown or cannot be treated, you may be referred for a talking therapy: cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), tinnitus counselling or tinnitus retraining therapy. It says you will usually be offered digital CBT first. It also points to Tinnitus UK, whose free helpline is 0800 018 0527 (number as shown on the NHS page, 7 October 2026).
NHS hearing tests and hearing aids are free after a referral. NHS England's DM01 report for July 2026 (published 10 September 2026) says 41.5% of the 124,667 people waiting for an NHS audiology assessment had waited six weeks or more. More on the NHS wait.
What does a private hearing test for tinnitus cost?
At the two chains we checked on 7 October 2026, the hearing test was advertised as free. Boots Hearingcare offers "free adult hearing tests". Specsavers advertises free hearing tests. The aids are where the money is: from £695 a pair at Boots and from £500 a pair at Specsavers, on that day. A chain's money is usually the aids, not the test. That is not a reason to avoid the test. It is a reason to know what you are walking into, and to ask what a tinnitus appointment includes before you book.
What should I ask before a tinnitus appointment?
- Is this a full hearing assessment, or a shorter hearing check?
- Will you look in my ears first?
- Is the appointment free, and what would cost money after it?
- If you suggest hearing aids, can I have the price, the trial period and the warranty in writing?
- If you think I need a GP or the NHS, will you tell me?
Is a hearing test part of a tinnitus assessment?
It can be. NICE NG155 recommendation 1.4.1 says to offer an audiological assessment to people with tinnitus. A hearing test does not treat tinnitus, and we cannot tell you what is causing yours.
Can a private clinic stop my tinnitus?
Nobody can promise that. The NHS says tinnitus may get better by itself, and Boots Hearingcare's own tinnitus page says there is no single cure. Ask any clinic what it can and cannot do, in writing.
Is a hearing test for tinnitus free?
NHS tests are free after a GP referral. On 7 October 2026, Boots Hearingcare and Specsavers advertised free hearing tests. Hearing aids cost extra privately, from £695 a pair at Boots and £500 a pair at Specsavers.
Want one clinic to call you? Request a private hearing appointment. Free for you; the clinic may pay us.