NHS Hearing Aids, broken but liable for cost of new ones.

rachelandgromit

My audiology dept is frustratingly never open outside of my work time and they insist on just attending the drop in which means you turn up and wait, 3 hrs last time so my normal procedure for obtaining batteries is to post off my book with a SAE and they send me some back. This process never works particularly well, and I always get my return SAE sent back, sometimes just with my book, no batteries, no book being updated or with one pack of batteries. In the end it's been easier to just buy batteries and domes myself.

A few weeks ago my aids stopped working and when I went for my eye test at Boots I asked the hearing aid dept in Boots to look at them. They are the Corda plus Zest aids and I've had them a number of years. I use them a lot as I'm 35 yrs old and use the streamer kit with work as well as the TV, microphone etc. Boots advised they are probably at the end of their lifespan now.

I posted them, with my book back to the hospital asking if they could get in contact with me. I heard nothing so I wrote another letter explaining that I'd waited 4 weeks and heard nothing and I'm struggling.

I should add that I did try to phone but it is absolutely impossible to get hold of anyone and it either goes on to voicemail or, as in the past the case of no batteries being sent, when I rung up nothing happened so I thought a letter would be better.

I'd send another letter and yesterday I had a phonecall from, let's call her Margaret in audiology.

Major attitude problem, oh I shouldn't have sent them in the post they have no record of it. I reiterate that my book even talked about packing your hearing aid safely if you have to send it through the post. She then tells me I am due for a review, new hearing test and aids anyway BUT she can't offer me an appt until I panther fee for 2 new hearing aids, even though I've posted mine to them that they haven't received apparently, they were broke and I am due some new ones anyway even though they have never written to me or been in contact to let me know!

In essence, it's a ransom I'm being held to because unless I pay £114 they won't give me another appointment which I'm due anyway for my review and new aids. I asked if I come in, pay the money can they then book me in for another appt. No I am told, I need to go in, fill in a lost hearing aid form, then someone will write to me with an appointment which could take 4-6 weeks!!! I am meant to be running training for 27 people in 3 weeks and won't be able to hear them. Eek.

I'm half tempted to buy some second hand aids off Ebay the same model and just take them in.

Has anyone ever been in a similar situation?

GlasweJen

I don't wear my NHS hearing aids as I hate how they fit but I paid £1500 privately for hearing aids so the NHS charging you £114 is perfectly reasonable. What possessed you to post them (presumably non-tracked service) without being told to? Why didn't you just go to your GP and ask them to deal with audiology if you couldn't get through to them.

rachelandgromit

Yes I realise I probably shouldn't have posted them.

A GP appt to ask them to contact audiology? I can't even get a GP appt when I need one unless I queue at 7am and it's a bit of a waste of GP time. I'm tempted just to buy some second hand non working ones and take them in instead. I have in the past paid for one hearing aid when I lost it at a theme park, it's just paying for ones that have broke and don't even work they were going to replace anyway that doesn't seem to make sense to me.

marrowgirl

I would recommend to contact the Department manager, (you should be able to find them by name by looking at the hospital website). Hopefully he/she will listen reason. Some departments charge a fee for lost hearing aids but I believe legally this is a bit dodgy as the NHS prescribe "free" hearing aids and I was never very happy about doing this. The brown book does say about sending your aid in the post too so you are correct about this (even though it was something we used to discourage our patients from doing).

rachelandgromit

I did call back and got the same woman who reiterated I need to pay the fee and then they will write to me with an appointment for my review.

In the end I gave up. Purchased a pair of hearing aids second hand off Ebay, exactly the same as mine, for a fraction of the price that came with all the streamer, tv kit etc which I'll sell on again. Rung back audiology a couple of days later saying they had been returned to me as sender, postage error etc. Hey presto, nice as pie come in with them and we will see you get your review booked in and new aids.

You are right the brown book does say about making sure they are safely packed if you post them so it actively encourages it! I mean I get that technically the hearing aids are on loan to you and to pay if you lost them which I did when I lost one at Alton Towers on a roller-coaster but to pay for ones that are broke that they were replacing anyway just is stupid!

marrowgirl wrote: »

I would recommend to contact the Department manager, (you should be able to find them by name by looking at the hospital website). Hopefully he/she will listen reason. Some departments charge a fee for lost hearing aids but I believe legally this is a bit dodgy as the NHS prescribe "free" hearing aids and I was never very happy about doing this. The brown book does say about sending your aid in the post too so you are correct about this (even though it was something we used to discourage our patients from doing).

Toomuchdebt

The only trouble with that is that all hearing aids have a serial number so the minute they connect them to the software they will know they're not yours...