Why it can pay to

NE in six people in Britain have some form of hearing loss – that’s around 11 million people.

By 2031 it’s estimated that around 20 per cent of the population will be affected and over half of those aged over 60 already are.

But getting the right hearing aids can transform the lives of those with hearing loss.

According to the charity Action on Hearing Loss there are currently four million people with hearing loss in the UK who could benefit from wearing hearing aids.

Yet many people find that relying on help from the NHS does not meet their needs.

According to a 2015 report from Action on Hearing Loss, many NHS audiology departments are being forced to cut core services due to shrinking budgets or increased demand.

Indeed one of the biggest benefits of getting hearing aids through a provider like Amplifon, an independent global hearing specialist, could be the chance to obtain suitable hearing aids quickly.

The waiting time between referral and treatment on the NHS is usually several weeks.

But going private is likely to be much faster. A survey of members by the consumer body Which?, in September 2016, found that 37 per cent of those with hearing aids had decided to buy them privately.

Its report also found that 94 per cent of people who had used private hearing aid providers rated them ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ when it came to time spent getting to be seen for appointments, compared to 68 per cent with the NHS.

There are lots of different hearing aids on offer and technology is advancing all the time improving their look, ease of use and adaptability to whatever the situation the wearer finds themselves in.

But the NHS itself admits that the range of aids it can offer is not as extensive as those available from providers like Amplifon, which helps customers in over 22 countries across 8,600 hearing centres worldwide — including more than 200 hearing centres in the UK.

The Which? survey found that 77 per cent of members rated the variety of aids from private providers as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, but just 32 per cent of respondents said the same about the NHS devices on offer.

And when it comes to comparing aids from the NHS and private companies for appearance, comfort and individual suitability, 91 per cent of customers rated their private provider as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, compared with just 70 per cent of NHS patients.