NHS Audiology Department or Specsavers?

You will be seen by qualified audiologists at both ...see what the wait is a bit maybe?

Both

Depends on how quickly you want/need your aids - my first choice would be audiology as the service I've had for my two aids has been excellent and hasn't cost a penny. But I understand the wait locally is now a year - when I had mine 8 years ago I only waited a week.

Specsavers have taken over some services that are previously run by the nhs , my DH had to go to one for a follow up to his diabetic eye screening test recently.
I would ask about waiting times at both services and where you would be offered an appointment , it may not be your local specsavers.
Also if you do end up with THE hearing aids, where you could you access , batteries & tubes when required. ( these are free for NHS patients) but you have to pay if you go private.

That should be NHS hearing aids.

Specsavers or any other local opticians for me. Great treatment and no long waiting times.

We all go to Scrivens.

Dad and I have NHS aids, everything is free.
When we need new batteries I phone a request in and they come through the post.

My husband has chosen to have all-singing all-dancing private aids, for which he pays!

I'd suggest trying the NHS ones to start with and see if they suit you.
You can always have private ones later if you want to.

I picked up my private ones from Specsavers at the weekend and like my NHS ones, I can get a free replacement for anything within 4 years.

Dh has had aids from Specsavers but is now waiting for an NHS referral. Opinion seems to be that the aids supplied by SS are not as good as ones the NHS prescribe and that the NHS follow-up service is better. That’s possibly a local issue, not countrywide, so ask around.

My F-i-L had excellent (NHS) service from his local specsavers, I travel a bit further to audiology dept but I'm also under ENT there, & sometimes the appointments need to mesh in, so that's the only reason I go to audiology rather than specsavers NHS.

I did go to specsavers and bought their hearing aid and it was expensive. It was tiny and I was told if I lost it I would need to pay for another one. I was told I could try it for a few weeks and if I didn't like it I could get a refund. I was going into my car one day and i noticed my hearing aid was missing. I searched the car and thankfully found it. The thought of buying another expensive one gave me a shock so I decided to get a refund. Thankfully this happened inside the few weeks trial. I now have an NHS one and am happy with it

For me it would be where l could get the earliest appointment. I think they both supply the same NHS digital aids. I don't have the option of using an independent audiologist in my health authority and the waiting list is horrendous.

On my own personal experience I would go to Specsavers. I've always had great experience with them, nothing is too much trouble. On the other hand, having waited over 7 months for an appointment with my audiology department, they ran a few tests and said they couldn't offer me anything. I went back to Specsavers and got some super new Bluetooth hearing aids (on the NHS). Do be aware though, that Specsavers are all independently run, so the branches do vary.

DH tried both Specsavers and Boots and Boots came out the better of the two for private hearing aids . Have to say they are expensive but worth the money if your hearing is poor.

I had my nhs hearing aids from Specsavers and also get myfreebatteries from them. It is my local Specsavers which h is about 5 miles away. I was very happy with the service.

My local Specsavers does not do NHS, only private hearing tests/ aids.
I had a free hearing test there snd from that day onwards, I have tinnitus. Coincidence?

Specsavers you have to pay for hearing aids and any repairs. NHS you get for free. If I need hearing aid I will go NHS . My dad did and hit his batteries for free and they serviced and cleaned his hearing aids. This was 2004-2007 he died that year. My mother in law paid private for her 2 hearing aids in 1990 and had to pay for batteries ,service and repairs up until she died in 2015. Cosy her a lot of money over the years.

Here is the link to NHS audiology provided free by Specsavers. If you enter your GP's postcode you can see if it's available in your area.
www.specsavers.co.uk/hearing/hearing-aids/nhs-hearing-aids?ds_rl=1293573&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwvvmzBhA2EiwAtHVrb3MJjp1Q9-tBIKt2WefqKYc7iRRM4dJAcK4tI51FWdansIwn0htiahoCu1UQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

When I needed a hearing test my GP told me to go to Specsavers as the wait was much shorter but not, under any circumstances, agree to buy hearing aids from them. I was asked to get the hearing test results and take them into the surgery. My GP would have a look at them and if she thought I needed hearing aids she would refer me to the NHS. The aids were almost identical to Specsavers and free as opposed to £2000 charged by the opticians.

Specsavers took 10 days from referral to fitting - brilliant! But it may depend on the waiting list in your area.

I have the impression generally that the NHS audiology department is slower.

Specsavers do NOT charge for the hearing aids and it is appalling that the doctor gave you false information. Specsavers are agents for the NHS and everything is free - consultation, aids, batteries in perpetuity etc.

You can of course choose to buy aids from Specsavers because they also stock private ones. All you have to do is go to Specsavers and opt for the free NHS ones. They are the same - just free.

I attend the audiology department at my local hospital in Torbay where I have excellent service. At my last appointment, I was supplied with aids which have bluetooth facility linked to my smart phone. They are brilliant as I can adjust reception according to my environment, change the volume, sharpness and direction via the App and, best of all, receive calls really clearly hands free directly to my hearing aids! All available from the NHS without charge, including batteries, replacement tubing, servicing, etc. Wonderful!

Sarnia

When I needed a hearing test my GP told me to go to Specsavers as the wait was much shorter but not, under any circumstances, agree to buy hearing aids from them. I was asked to get the hearing test results and take them into the surgery. My GP would have a look at them and if she thought I needed hearing aids she would refer me to the NHS. The aids were almost identical to Specsavers and free as opposed to £2000 charged by the opticians.

How recent was this?

If you have any doubts over whether you will have to pay for hearing aids in Specsavers, or whether you get them there under the NHS, then the answer is simple - when you phone for an appointment you JUST ASK.

If you already get your eyes tested there, you should know already that you choose the frames for the glasses from a wide selection at various prices - from free NHS up to designer frames. From the posts on here, it seems to me that they supply hearing aids under the the same system.