Are private hearing aids much better than NHS?

[PangolinPie]

I have new NHS phonak digital Bluetooth aids. The Bluetooth aspect is great but I don't feel I hear any better with them. I have severe hearing loss and have been toying with the idea of private hearing aids for a few years but it's a big financial outlay. I would try and get the best ones available.

Has anyone gone from NHS to private aids and seen a huge difference, particularly in things like clarity of speech and hearing in noisy environments?

I am happy with my NHS aids. There is a thread in general health called For Those of us who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing. Why not join us? It is a friendly group and you will get a lot of good advice there.

My private hearing aids appear to be the same as yours so I don’t think there is any difference tbh.
Agree with the previous poster about the thread in general health. Some good tips there.

I suspect that they are probably much the same technically, but we found that going privately just meant we were seen and problems were dealt with quickly. Also as mil had dementia, they were much more patient and understanding. So for speed and ease, private won the day for us.
I would also expect that the extra gadgets you can get for the hearing impaired are not available on the nhs or even loaned out to try or discussed. These things made the biggest difference to mil use of her hearing aids.

My fil gets terrible private service so I've made him get an nhs referral

I’m wearing a private pair from Specsavers simply because I couldn’t get a NHS review for at least another 2 years which is absolutely ridiculous. My last review appointment was 2018, my hearing deteriorated rapidly after getting Covid (I was already pretty deaf)
I’m absolutely delighted with not only the hearing aids (no more cumbersome, I’ll-fitting ear moulds), the service is brilliant, free batteries, pop in if any concerns- this more than makes up for the cost. I can go in when I’m in town rather than trekking 10 miles to the hospital where parking is a nightmare and very expensive and you can sit and wait for hours after your appointment time 🤬

I am very experienced with hearing aids and hearing loss both professionally and personally. The only advantage of private aids is that you can get an appointment quickly to sort them out. I really don't think that the aids are any better than those on the NHS.

I have an NHS aid, it's absolutely fine (I have an app on my phone which controls volume etc) I also get amazing service for it from the NHS. It is quite bulky however - the two people i know who went private both have rmuch smaller aids which are far more discreet.

The newer blue tooth aids that are now being prescribed in many audiology clinics are much smaller, even with more severe hearing losses. In the past a full ear mould would have been needed for these types of hearing loss but the new technology means they work well with the thinner corda tubing with a small dome on the end which is very discreet.

I suppose it depends on the hospital trust but this is what people are starting to be given where I am.

My MiL has private aids and she has been back and back to have them adjusted/ repaired but she doesn't seem to hear as well as she did with the NHS aids. ( and is £3k poorer!)