After losing my hearing overnight 18 months ago, steroid injections, CBT, from what I can gather the "routine" appointments, I am starting to accept my hearing loss and tinnitus. Private consultant advised not to "waste" money on hearing aid due to the loss being cochlear damage. But keep going with the NHS hearing aid as it may offer slight relief from tinnitus. I have seen this a bit of a life line and looking forward to my hearing aid. I had a mould taken in February this year, I was given an appointment for fitting August this year, my audiology have now cancelled 3 appointment (2 on the day, 1 the day before) and have now said it could be next year before I get my appointment for the fitting. Just wondered if anyone else was at their wits end when trying to access Audiology in their area? fyi I am under the Doncaster NHS trust.
NHS UNHELPFUL: After losing my hearing overnight... - Tinnitus UK
NHS UNHELPFUL
maybe you could try SpecSavers? They do NHS hearing aids and you can often refer yourself. Might be worth a go rather than wait. The NHS is broken at the moment. It’s almost impossible to even see a Dr these days, in fact I don’t know what they do anymore.
SpecSavers has agreements with 30 integrated healthcare boards to provide NHS hearing aids - their website has a search function where you enter the postcode of your GP practice to see if this is available in your area: specsavers.co.uk/hearing/he...
Hi thank you so much for replying, it means alot. unfortunately we are not in the postcode area.
'NHS UNHELPFUL'....ain't that the truth.I've explored three different avenues in a search for some help. I'm approaching three years now, so I'm on about a thousand days of torture from this affliction.
My main avenue of interaction has been with a central London NHS hospital.
Appointments.
1/ Was a hearing test (nothing of note) and I was asked my symptoms and sent home.
2/ Different doctor who asked my symptoms and I was sent home.
3/ Was given appointment for some scans, they performed the wrong scans and I was sent home.
4/ Had the correct scans.
5/ Had telephone appointment where I was told they can't see any issues after reviewing the scans.
6/ Another telephone appointment where I was once again asked my symptoms.
7/ Another telephone appointment (another different doctor) who asked me how I was coping, also asked what my symptoms were.
Received a letter a couple of weeks ago about my next appointment. Once again it's a telephone appointment.
Appointment date :
February 10th..................2026.
I won't include the 5 minute telephone appointments from an NHS audiologist which were all pointless (kept asking what my symptoms were) or the calls from an NHS shrink who's basic stance was "You've got it, learn to live with it."
Also I'd like to suggest anyone working in ENT, drops the E, takes a 33% pay cut and sticks to focusing on the N and the T.
Good luck to you Molbel.
Love and silence to all.
Tell me about i got the same ,However criticize nhs here is dangerous...
I went private. I ended up taking out loan on a zero percent credit card to pay for the hearing aids I was offered. My quality of life was the motivation.
I was tested and fitted with a pair for a 30 day trial all within a week.
As others have observed the NHS is badly broken right now so if you can get access to a free loan that is just about the only way to get this type of non urgent treatment in a civilised time frame.
I paid it off over a couple of years - that immediate improvement to my daily experience made it very much worthwhile.
Good luck.
It all just adds more torment to an already difficult situation we find ourselves in. It’s made me feel vulnerable and scared and all we need is support and care at certain times. I’m trying for hearing aids, oh how I long for relief - still waiting on the nhs to hear
That is unacceptable - write into PALS and complain they will be located in your hospital. I have NHS aids and got them a month after having the moulds taken, also had them upgraded since. Our Audiology at Royal Sussex are marvellous but there is no excuse for you to have waited that long. I too lost my hearing overnight to Labyrinthitis and have Tinnitus - I have Musical Ear Syndrome.
its a complete lottery ,ask to be referred to another health area it might be different, i believe you can do this. i was referred to ENT last friday with a nasal problem to be told the waiting list is 40-48 weeks as its not deemed urgent but on Monday i am seeing one of the same consultants i would have seen in 40 weeks privately along with my credit card for a fee of £210 fact is we are being forced like it or not to go part private . Audiology where i live in south midlands for NHS hearing aids isnt to bad though. I also understand if you go to one of the high street places like boots hearing or Specsavers you have the choice of NHS aid or private one check it out.
Unfortunately I have a similar story - From my GP who (at least I felt) didn't want to know, to having multiple ent and audiology appointments cancelled/rescheduled/cancelled etc. eventually the NHS in my area had to send me to a private clinic, and although they did scans, checks etc. (I needed an operation as well which apparently there was no capacity in local hospital to do). I had to get the hearing test side of things done and my hearing aids on my own. I booked my own audiology appointments, and then ensured GP got all the letters etc. in the end went to Boots and got private HA as well - yes they cost me but I won't be without them now. I do have a pair the NHS gave me, but they are very old model Phonak. I think the boots guy thought they'd come from a museum 🤣. Boots can't do NHS HA if your not over a certain age (55 I think), so I had to pay for mine. It has improved my quality of life dramatically - T hasn't gone, but it's manageable and I now experience much longer periods of quiet than before.
And yes I got the NHS counselling, did one session and I felt more depressed than before I went into the room. Put that behind me and have not been back to that. Thankfully that's one follow up appointment they didn't book and I didn't chase!
It is hard with NHS - there are a lot of good people struggling in an overworked and underfunded system. They have said in my area there is a shortage of ENT consultants, hence never having seen one on NHS directly.
I'd say try Boots or Specsavers - worked for me - just watch out though, they are there to sell you something - it is best to have an idea of what you want. I was recommended I needed and tried CIC, couldn't get on with them, moved to OTE.
Best of luck.
I am sorry to read this, I am in Oxfordshire and my experience is that the audiologist was prompt and helpful. I am over 50 so could self refer and make my own appointments and I went back 3 times for my hearing aids to be adjusted. I did find my recent ENT consultation very unhelpful and had waited 50 weeks to be told what I had worked out for myself, plus the consultant was wearing a mask so I could hardly hear him even with my hearing aids in. There is a Tinnitus support group that I found through this group which was good and I hope to go back again.
Hello Molbel Your hearing loss is apparently of no consequence to Doncaster NHS trust mogels. Im quite sure the $$ they are spending on everything else is much more important . In the end Healthcare will not save them or anyone else for that matter. It is up to you . Survival is for the tenacious and the determined. The fact that you are still kicking after 18 long months of this shit means that you are a survivor. Disgusting example of a Healthcare system .
Sincerely
Aesop
While waiting for my nhs hearing aids , I had 2 trials ( 60 days each ) of 2 different models from specsavers . I had to wait a very long time for the nhs Bluetooth ones . To be honest , for me there was not much difference in sound . The private ones were rechargeable and the nhs have batteries . Of course the price made a huge difference . I waited !
If you have lost a huge amount of your hearing, has anyone suggested that you explore the cochlear implant route? Has anyone suggested testing to see if you qualify? It may also help the tinnitus, not usually by getting rid of it, unless you are extremely lucky, but by the fact you once again have usable hearing hearing and it tends to fade into the background when you wear the implant.
Hi PABLR Thank you for replying, as I have a tiny amount of hearing in that ear, (all be it any hearing in that ear is distorted/unclear they won't entertain the cochlear route, privately my consultant estimates £40K (which is out of my reach). what is your situation?
I'm in the USA and have a left side cochlear implant. In the USA they will pay for two, but the requirements in the UK seem as if you would fit from my reading, and of course without knowing any of your results. I do know in the UK they only provide one, whereas here they will provide two, and for many the second makes a big difference. I manage with a HA in the other ear although it qualifies, for me it's not that bad yet and I choose to retain some natural hearing.
Last place I thought to look
Not hearing properly
Hearing aids
NHS hearing aid driving me mad !!!
my story with T 
