The UK Government gives the green light for groundbreaking new hearing aid devices
Tens of thousands of people with hearing loss will have access to groundbreaking new hearing aid devices, thanks to new UK Government guidance.
The guidance gives businesses around the world the green light to sell certain pioneering hearing aids in the UK. This includes earphones with both hearing test and hearing aid software functionalities.
Such revolutionary products allow someone to take a hearing test at home using their earphones and an app on their phone. If the test indicates mild to moderate hearing loss, the person can then switch on the hearing aid function on the same earphones.
This will make it easier and more convenient for patients to manage their own health and help to reduce associated risks like social isolation.
The government states that its Plan for Change has a focus on securing the UK’s position as a “global tech powerhouse” which fosters innovation to transform the lives of working people, with the Prime Minister setting out a blueprint to unleash artificial intelligence (AI) across the UK – including in healthcare – and deliver a decade of national renewal.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “Britain can be a powerhouse for medical technology, but only if we rip out pointless regulation that suffocates innovation.
“Groundbreaking new hearing aid devices have the potential to help tens of thousands of people with hearing loss, helping them to live their life to the full. The action we’re taking will give businesses the green light to start selling these products to patients across the UK.
“This is part of the work this government is undertaking in partnership with leading technology companies, to harness the revolution in medical technology, bring our analogue healthcare into the digital age and make life more convenient for patients.”
One in three adults in the UK are deaf or experience hearing loss or tinnitus – which rises to more than 50 per cent of over 55s.
Of these, approximately 53 per cent use hearing aids. Currently, there is uncertainty about whether patients are able to buy hearing aids directly, including as part of testing their hearing at home.
The new guidance will put an end to this confusion, the Government states, speeding up patient access to the devices while making the UK an attractive place to manufacture innovative and wearable medical technology.
The move delivers on the Prime Minister’s commitment at the International Investment Summit to tackle bureaucracy blocking investment and remove unnecessary regulatory burdens that have previously stifled growth.
Patient safety will be paramount, and the government will ensure that all manufacturers comply with the relevant legislation. People will also still be encouraged to seek clinical advice through their GP if they are having problems with their hearing.
This will help fulfil two of the 10 Year Health Plan’s key goals – moving care from hospital to the community and shifting the health service from analogue to digital.
The move will help establish the UK as a global leader for innovative treatments and technologies, supporting sustained economic growth, good jobs and increased productivity across the country, while ensuring patients have greater control of their own healthcare.
Harriet Oppenheimer, Chief Executive of The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), commented: “We share the Government’s excitement about the potential benefits of over-the-counter hearing aids, including as a mechanism to encourage people to take action on their hearing loss. However, changes need to be introduced carefully and with the right regulatory safeguards in place.
“There are some significant risks to consider in allowing all hearing aids to be made available without the user having first received a gold-standard hearing test, a referral to an audiologist to consider any underlying health conditions, or having their hearing aids fitted by a trained professional.
“Furthermore, without these safety checks and balances in place, there is also a risk that many people may either delay seeking medical help for hearing loss, or even wrongly self-prescribe hearing aids which, if used incorrectly, could worsen hearing loss.
“In order to avoid such potential risks to people’s hearing health, we would recommend an urgent review of all the regulations covering hearing aid provision and for coherent changes to be made across the different elements.
“One area the Government needs to urgently explore is the introduction of a new category of device for specifically regulated over-the-counter hearing aids. RNID would also welcome research to more fully understand the effectiveness of these products for people with hearing loss.
“RNID is already in direct conversation with DHSC and stands ready to work in partnership with the Government to ensure the benefits of this exciting development are available to all.”
Last year, hearing aid manufacturer Oticon introduced an innovative hearing aid with 4D sensor technology that can understand a hearing aid user’s listening intentions and respond accordingly.