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NHS hearing test v Private

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I’ve had 2 private basic hearing tests in the past week from 2 private companies both saying I fall outside of normal hearing ranges. The 1st company said it was 25db in the 2-4k range and the 2nd company said it was 35db in the same area. I’m waiting on a referral for a NHS hearing test. Can anyone tell me if their NHS hearing test produced a different result, be it better or worse than from a private company. Thank you :star_struck:

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The difference could be accounted for by a slight delay on pushing the button. Private clinics would err on the side of selling the aids whereas the NHS have no incentive to to err in either direction. I get mine done at Costco. I am well into moderate impairment so I am in no doubt as to my need for aids nor is my wife. Presently I am waiting for Philips 9050 to show up at Costco.

Edited

Okay so in my experience of wearing hearing aids for 17 years, hearing tests at 4 different NHS hospitals, 1 NHS approved provider (specsavers) and 2 private companies - it varies!

Some private companies have very basic testing equipment (I would even say inferior) and they just want a sale.

Usually the NHS hearing tests are much more comprehensive and they usually have mostly upto date testing equipment. I say usually/mostly because unfortunately it does seem to depend on which NHS hospital you get referred to, kind of like a healthcare lottery! And also because it can depend on the audiologist, some are better/more attentive than others and some you end up leaving the appointment feeling like they just want you in and out!

It’s possible that you might see a slight difference in your NHS but it shouldn’t be a drastic difference. If you’re thinking about getting hearing aids I’d definitely say wait until you’ve had your NHS test first.

I’m not surprised about different results.
a] different test equipment
b] different test protocol
for the patient
c] different environmental factors, like a long noisy highway drive to one venue.
d] after a recent test, you may listen differently for the second test.

In reply to @Mickey

@Mickey said:
  1. The difference could be accounted for by a slight delay on pushing the button.

2)Private clinics would err on the side of selling the aids whereas the NHS have no incentive to err in either direction.

  1. No it doesn’t, the rising threshold and multiple passes preclude this.

  2. No we don’t: ‘creating’ a loss on paper gives the client a bad result and means that their next test won’t show the correct progression as well.

If someone needs hearing aids, their purchasing decision is rarely based on the test: many people are in massive denial with large long established losses due to a number of reasons. People with much milder losses often identify them well if they live or work in more challenging listening environments. It’s much more effective to let the client hear how effective hearing aids are in real world situations than ‘sell’ them aids based on errant results.

The actual reasons for test variance are listed elsewhere in this thread.

Thanks for your informative response. For context, test 1 was done at Specsavers on an iPad with over ear headphones in a sight testing room by an unqualified assistant who told me to press buttons when I heard the noise… I had a 10 minute drive and this was at 1:15pm. The test result was 25db loss across 2-4k, I have almost normal hearing at 250 and 8000k.

Test 2 was done at Boots by an audiologist in a sealed booth with little microphones put in my ears. Again, press the button when you hear the noises. I had a 15 minute drive to this one and the test was at 9:45am. This one came in at 35db loss across 2-4k, again I have almost normal hearing at both ends. Also I made a point of no loud music in the car as I wanted to give my ears every chance to hear.

Boots asked me if I wanted to try some hearing aids and on finding out they start at £1700 a pair I said no. Unsurprisingly the £600 options were not mentioned… that could be for a number of reasons so I make no judgment.

When I asked if I’d qualify for NHS hearing aids she wasn’t sure as it had been a long time since she worked in the NHS and the rules change often. I asked for a referral which she duly gave.

She has given me a referral letter and a copy of the audio gram to give to my Dr and not directly contacted the Audiology department which surprised the receptionists as she could have referred me directly and not taken up a precious appointment time to get the Dr to make the referral. I get the feeling she wants the GP to decide if I need a NHS test.

Both tests were at different times of day and done by different equipment. If I’m honest, I’m surprised the 2nd test showed a ‘worse’ reading considering I was in a soundproof booth with the microphones inside my ears. I genuinely thought I stood a better chance of a better reading…

I don’t understand how the hearing loss thing works within the NHS. I don’t know if a 35db loss is considered enough to be seen by an Audiologist as it’s a mild to almost moderate hearing loss and I’ve read you don’t ‘qualify’ for hearing assistance unless it is moderate.

I spend A LOT of time saying what, pardon, uhh? I can’t hear soft voices and I struggle with speech and background noise together. I also have high pitched tinnitus definitely in my left but possibly in my right ear (same noise as the old style big tvs back in the day when they were turned on and off).

I hope if I’m able to see a NHS audiologist I do qualify for hearing aids as I think they would not only change my life but those around me who would only have to say things once!

After all of that, I need to know are hearing aids offered based on numbers or by difficulty of daily life? Again I know I come in the mild hearing loss category so I’m almost expecting to be told to get on with it…

In reply to @Janey

That looks like you have had an incomplete or ‘screening’ test at both; though given your test description, the Boots one is likely to be more accurate. That said, you’re possibly still marginal for an NHS fitting depending on your local admission criteria.

If you work with 7 year olds or are experiencing difficulties in normal settings; follow it up. I’d say you might be on the margins of cost vs. benefit improvements, but I have clients with this kind of loss who swear that they need help to hear in modestly challenging situations, while others will have sensorineural losses that sail well past 50dB and don’t regard themselves to be remotely impaired.

As I noted before, if you’re in doubt, secure a ‘free’ trail and find out what aids are like in the real world with your hearing. First hand experience will trump what any Audiologist says or what can be described on here.

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