In the ear DIGITAL hearing aids...

[helsi]

are they available through the NHS or just private audiologists?

[Tortington]

my daughter has digital aids NHS - nice purple ones with matching molds - very fetching

[helsi]

are they in the ear or behind the ear custardo?

[LGJ]

In the ears, can be a rip off if purchased privately, we spent a lot of money on one of my DH's ITE hearing aids when an NHS audio would have said, face it mate you need a super charged BTE one.

[coppertop]

Knowing how difficult the NHS are making it for people to get digital behind-the-ear aids my guess is that they won't be getting the in-the-ear ones for a long time yet.

[geekgrrl]

helsi you can't get in-the-ear ones for children as children's ears are too small to fit all the technology in.
My daughter also has digital aids - reds ones with fimbles moulds.

[helsi]

I am thinking from a work point of view. I work for a government dept that helps people with funding towards various aids and equiment needed for them to do their job. A big debate at the moment is around digital hearing aids. As a rule we do not supply medical aids (such as glassess etc) and hearing aids also fall into this category. the reason for this is that the NHS should be the primary supplier of hearing aids and my dept cannot be seen as a short cut to circumnavigating the NHS waiting lists.
However, certain NHS audiologists have been getting round this by stating that the NHS ones they supply (if any) would not be suitable for particular clients and referring them to us to get a grant towards privatley supplied ones.
In particular one NHS audiologist also has a private practice and is saying no can't suply themto you on the NHS, go the ...dept and then coe back to me privately.

[coppertop]

It's a tough one, helsi. I live in one of the areas where the pilot schemes were held when the NHS first started getting didgital aids. By a remarkable coincidence I was taken off the consultant's list less than 2 months before the pilot scheme was scheduled to start - despite suffering from progressive deafness. I have heard that it can take up to 2 years to get a digital hearing aid from the NHS. If I were to go back to work now I doubt I would be able to cope in a noisy office environment with my analogue aids but, as you say, you can't let your group be used as a shortcut either.

[Tortington]

what a very interesting question. there are govt schemes who give people the money for new clothes for a job interview - recognising therefore that apperance and cosmetics are indeed very important.

on this note then may i add that my daughter suffers daily becuase she detests her hearing aids so much. this is apainful emotional battle to have to fight iwth your child. however i am certain that if as an adult she could get help towards obtaning more descrete hearing aids ( ion the ear) she would ump at the chance.