Consumer choice for hearing aids and listening devices: newspaper advertisements for UK private sector provision

Abstract

In the UK there can be several ways to access health care and this is true of hearing aid provision. Although there may appear to be a well-defined distinction between the National Health Service (NHS) and independent dispenser hearing aid provision, there have been many examples of overlap between the two and recent government policy initiatives mean that distinctions have become less clear. This article outlines the changing relationship between the two sectors and the problems that potential consumers face accessing information on private sector options for amplification devices. A 1-year sample of newspaper advertisements was content-analysed for clarity of information provided. The analysis highlighted a range of provision, from well-known hearing aid dispensers to the greyer areas of listening device retailers and intermediary services. Some advertisements were found to have been reported to the Advertising Standards Authority. Sufficiently misleading adverts may also infringe consumer protection legislation. The article concludes there is the possibility of consumer confusion about products and their potential for amelioration. UK public and private sector provision -consumer choice past and presentHearing aid provision has been undertaken by the NHS since 1948 and in line with its founding philosophy NHS hearing aids, their fitting, after care and batteries, are provided free of charge at point of delivery. Although within 3 years of NHS inception, spectacle and denture provision incurred a charge for patients (Meadowcroft, 2008), hearing aids have always remained free to consumers.At this time, hearing aids used analogue technology that gave little capacity to adjust hearing aids to the consumer's own hearing loss and did not have the sophisticated sound quality later digital