Brave new world of the NHS in the UK which hearing aid?

cockney rebel

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Quick background everyone at home complaining you don’t listen etc., think I might have an issue. How do you know if your not hearing right if you don’t know any different,
So pops into a high street “you should have gone to” quick test by a guy seems half knowledgeable says I definitely have a hearing loss. In fairness I ask him about the NHS and he says you can get a doctors referral and could get an Aid on the NHS but might basic. You cannot add the cost of a NHS aid towards a more expensive one if you want to. You can ask your doctor to refer you back to me if you want?
Off to doctor, well since 1st April clue no as to what the system is but will refer you maybe a Private provider or NHS don’t know? So goes on line to find out a bit more and come across a website of independent ear people, network throughout the UK.Offered a free test at home so wanting a second opium go for it.
He says that I may not need hearing aids loss is very small. Seems very professional 2 hours in my home and ends up saying if you want to go for HA then hed suggest a GN Sound model. We discuss wireless control phone TV volume and all sorts. Seems an honest john not pushy

Letter then comes offering me an appointment at my local hospital to see a high street company in the hospital .Go there an actually see a NHS audiologist .They say only need an aid in my left ear!
Next step to have an aid fitted if I want. Who by I ask and am told that I can either come back to NHs who use Oticon, or if I want to choose can come to should have gone on the high street who are at the hospital .They use Siemans .So what’s the difference, up to me, “we find that our patients tend to get on better with Oticon.”
So we have a private saying you are borderline,NHS saying definitely in your left ear. So to try and get another view off we go to “Toots” the chemist. Same drill, tests, I am beginning to wonder if your ears perform differently at different times of the day. This time yep you have a loss both ears, the inner ear, the little wavie things are not as efficient as they should be, if you don’t have a n aid they never recover and can get worse.Ok and we use Phonak
So please anyone know if there is a website where you can compare HA’s directly like HI FI and TVs?
I really don’t know which route to take. I definitely heard better when I had the aids in my ears but how do you choose?
The NHS one Oticon is free but no extras a basic model in a colour to suit ,they all look very similar and no blond hair colour one to match mine .Independent comes in a blond to match you hair colour, can have wireless or Bluetooth goodies GN Sound ,cost £ 1700 ish plus extra for the remotes and the like. “Toots” colour suggested black to match your glasses, yep goodies available we use Phonak, these models only been out a few weeks £2000 to £3400 !!!
So sorry for going on and I know that in one sense you only get what you pay for, they all seemed similar in terms of improved hearing ,all varying degrees of frequency tuning channels etc.
But anyone got any knowledge or experiences good or bad of these makes. I am out of work after 25 years and need to watch the cash but at the same time me health is important
Thank in advance to anyone that can help me.
cocker
 
Oticon, Siemens, and Phonak are all good. If money is an issue, go with the free NHS. Then you will be in the system and will get upgrades and it won't cost.

You pay a goodly amount of taxes to have that benefit.
 
Go for the NHS Oticon to start with. As Bottesini writes - they're free! Not everyone likes wearing hearing aids, and they often end up in a box unused. But if you do, and you find you really really need the best and latest model, then you have something to compare against. You may find the sound quality to be the same even!

I have their most powerful model on the NHS, and it has bluetooth (though I had no colour choice) allowing me to connect wirelessly to my phone, TV, iPad and PC using an Oticon streamer (a device that acts as a bluetooth bridge). Oticon are a good make.

NHS hearing aids tend to be a few years behind the latest models available privately, but you'll still be getting a digital one programmed to match your hearing loss.
 
I forgot to add: The Oticon Streamer is not on the NHS. I had to purchase it myself and then get the NHS audiologist to programme it for me
 
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