Mixed results for hearing aid sales

Hearing aid sales to the NHS are up 32% this year compared with the same time in 2023. In contrast, sales to the private sector fell slightly, according to the British Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA).

Second-quarter data for 2024 shows a 3.6% increase in sales to the NHS compared with the year’s first quarter. In contrast, private sales slumped 9.4%. Year-on-year sales to the private sector were slightly down, at 1.6%.

In the Republic of Ireland, overall hearing aid sales dropped by 6% in the quarter, representing a marginal reduction in sales compared with the second quarter of 2023.

Sales of rechargeable hearing aids continued to rise in the private sector but fell slightly in the NHS. Rechargeable aids make up 88.9% of private sales in the UK, compared with 2.1% in the public sector. In Ireland, they make up 56.6% of hearing aid sales.