Ear health

NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB, in partnership with the Black Country ICB have now re-procured our community non-complex audiology services. Providers include:

  • Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
  • Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
  • The Outside Clinic (Complete Price Eyewear Ltd)
  • Specsavers
  • Scrivens
  • Modality Partnership (the provider will confirm shortly when they can start to accept referrals).

If you think that you need a hearing aid or assessment, then you will need a referral from your GP to access these services. You can choose which of the providers you would like to be referred to, and your GP can advise you on where these providers are located.

Please do not contact the providers directly; a first time (new) referral should be through your GP.

Prior to the reprocurement for community audiology services, the following providers informed NHS Birmingham and Solihull CCG that they did not wish to apply:

  • University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB – the Queen Elizabeth Hospital site)
  • Hidden Hearing Ltd
  • The Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

This means that since 1 October 2019, they are no longer part of the community audiology offer, and no new referrals will be accepted by them. 

Frequently asked questions

The ICBs have made plans with your provider to ensure minimal disruption to your care, and the provider will write to you to advise you about your options. If your hearing condition doesn’t require a new hearing aid they can continue to review and support you. If your hearing does require a new hearing aid device, your care needs to be transferred, then you have the same choice of provider as any new patient accessing this service.

You do not necessarily need a new GP referral; once you have decided on which provider you wish to attend, your current provider can arrange that transfer and ensure your records and medical history is safely transferred.

You should not have to re-attend for a full assessment or be offered new hearing aids if your current hearing aid works fine. You should continue to be monitored annually unless there is a change in your hearing aid needs in which case you can request for a face-face or a telephone appointment.

We are pleased to confirm that if you are registered with a NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB practice, patients 18 and over can now access the community audiology services, rather than waiting until the age of 55.