Independent clinic at 12 Devonshire Place, Marylebone. Open 8am–8pm, seven days.
This is the question we hear most. Asking people to repeat, TV too loud, or restaurants feeling like a wash of noise are the usual signs. Wax can mimic all of that — we look in the ear first. A test answers it; an advert cannot.
No. Aids amplify and clean up sound. They do not repair the ear. Most people follow speech better, especially with two when both ears need help.
Two, if both ears have a loss — direction and noise are easier. One if only one ear needs it. The audiogram decides, not the brochure.
Modern receiver-in-canal aids sit behind the ear with a thin wire. Invisible-in-canal exists if the ear shape allows. We will show you on the day.
Often two to four weeks of wearing them most of the day. Selected private aids have a trial of up to 60 days, in writing. Terms.
Typically four to six years of daily use, sometimes longer. Rechargeable batteries are replaced as the manufacturer specifies — not usually at home like a TV remote.
Most people now choose rechargeable: dock overnight, no packets. Tiny-cell batteries still suit some very small aids.
The one that matches your audiogram and your life. People search Phonak Sphere and Oticon Intent; a cheaper chipset is enough for many. We will say if NHS is enough.
Yes. No obligation to buy. The online headphone check is also free; it is a screen, not the clinic audiogram.
Yes. Tone test, speech testing where useful, and a printed/plan explanation before you leave — unless wax or infection means we treat first and re-test.
Please do if you can. We can check how you follow a familiar voice, and they help you remember NHS vs private. Come alone if that is easier.
From £545 an aid / £795 a pair (essential) to about £3,195 a pair for Phonak Sphere. Full price list. Written quote after the test. UK price-match.
NHS aids are free after referral. Private if you want Sphere, Intent, rechargeable styles, or shorter waits. We will say if NHS is enough.
Yes. We are not owned by a hearing-aid manufacturer. Brands depend on what we can order. One clinician. Open 8am–8pm, seven days.
Up to 60 days on selected private aids, in writing. See terms.
Yes — microsuction in the same clinic, including for hearing-aid users.
We assess it. Sudden one-sided noise or a sudden drop in hearing is GP / 111 / A&E the same day.
Yes — including housebound patients in London where travel from Marylebone is practical, plus Slough, Maidenhead, Windsor, Reading and care homes. Home visits.
Some private medical policies contribute. Bring the policy. We can invoice to you; we are not an insurer.
No. The quote is the amount you pay. Ordinary hearing aids are not generally “VAT-free disability goods” under HMRC 701/7. VAT and tax page.
Usually not as a personal medical bill through the business. Look at Access to Work. If your employer buys workplace equipment, it may not be a taxable benefit in kind. Ask your accountant. More.
Monthly payments subject to status once a lender is named on your quote. We will not advertise 0% until that product is live. Finance.
Yes. They must agree on the day. Advice for families.
Not for a private test here. See a GP first if there is pain, discharge, dizziness or a sudden drop — those are medical, not an aid fitting.
About 45–60 minutes for a first test. Fitting is a separate visit. Housebound visits take longer because of travel.
Sometimes. Mild loss that wrecks restaurants or work is worth treating. Mild loss that only shows on a graph may be watch-and-wait.
Better than unaided, not magic. Two ears beat one. Newer chips people search as Sphere or Intent are built for noise. We test speech in noise in clinic, not only beeps.
Most modern RICs stream from iPhone and many Androids. TV streamers exist. We check your phone on the day rather than promise every pairing.
Take them out. “Water resistant” is not the pool or a night’s sleep.
Usually no. Bring the glasses you actually wear and we fit around the arms.
A short whistle when you cup the ear can be normal. Constant feedback is a dome, mould or wax problem — we sort it at review.
Loss cover is extra unless the quote says otherwise. Do not buy a single replacement online — the pair is programmed as a set.
Boosters make everything louder, including noise. Second-hand: we can look; we cannot honour someone else’s warranty. NHS aids must not be sold.
The online check is not for children. Paediatric fittings belong on a paediatric pathway. Call if you are unsure — we will not pretend this is children’s audiology.
We visit. A familiar person should be there. Aids only help if they are worn and kept clean — we will say if that is realistic.
Aids are fine on a plane. We do not issue driving licences. If DVLA forms need the audiogram, ask us to write what it shows for you and your GP.
Stock models often same week; moulds take longer. We will not fit into an infected or heavily waxed ear.
Yes — musicians, sleep, swim, shooting. Impressions in clinic after we look in the ear. Ear plugs.
Retubes, cleans and many receiver jobs here; bigger faults to the lab. NHS aids: we can look, they stay NHS property. Repairs.
A transmitter on the poor side sends sound to the good ear. Not an implant. Sudden one-sided loss is still GP / A&E first. CROS.
Yes, as a paid employer service — baseline and surveillance audiometry for noise at work. Not the free public test. Occupational screening.
We can test and write a clinical letter or, if instructed, a medico-legal report. We are not solicitors and we do not take a cut of damages. The online check is not evidence for a claim. Medico-legal.
NHS aids are free. Compensation for service-related loss is via Veterans UK (AFCS after April 2005, War Pension before). The old British Legion Veterans Hearing Fund is closed. We can test and give you paperwork; we cannot approve a grant. Veterans page.
Selected private aids have a written trial of up to 60 days. That is the route — not a social-media guarantee. Terms.