When it comes to hearing care and choosing a hearing aid, an individual usually has a choice between going through the NHS or a private practitioner. There are some benefits and drawbacks to both options, which could be useful to know when deciding on going with one or another.
With an NHS aid, you are very limited in choice as to the style of the aid that you will be provided. Typically, you’ll be fitted with a ‘Behind the Ear’ with an ear mould or a thin plastic tube. Whilst this type of aid will do the job, they do tend to be lower-priced, with quite a basic technology level. This can result in a user having difficulty understanding speech clarity. There are clear benefits to this, however, as hearing care with the NHS is a more affordable option than going private in many instances.
In contrast, privately supplied aids often offer a much wider range of advanced technology and include the most invisible, discreet models to suit the individual wearer. A person has much more variety and choice when choosing a private hearing aid, and with so many options in 2020, there is no denying how beneficial it is for an individual to fully explore the different types of aids available. They can then take the recommendation from a professional on which model is best suited for their budget and lifestyle.
So, at the end of the day, there isn’t one choice right for everyone. The decision does come down to the individual and their needs and requirements. At Otec Hearing, we offer free lifetime aftercare as part of your solution. Our lifetime aftercare programme enables us to ensure you’re getting the optimum benefit from your hearing solution. As your hearing changes, we have the scientific knowledge and experience to fine-tune your hearing aid to give you the best possible listening experience. The technology levels we have available also means we have hearing aids to suit any type of hearing loss with a budget to suit everybody’s needs and lifestyle.
With a free hearing test where we come to you, it’s always worth seeking what a professional has to say and weighing up both options before committing to one or the other.
