The COVID 19 pandemic has had a huge impact on hearing aid uptake, despite most audiologists continuing to work completing essential healthcare during all but the first month of the first lockdown.
Hearing aid penetration is already rather grim, with only 40% of those who would benefit actually using them. The pandemic has squashed this number even further, through limited services and the advice to seniors to stay at home.
I’m pleased to see, therefore, a sudden surge in enquiries as we approach the end of lockdown, and in particular a lot of people reporting greater confidence following their second vaccination.
Private customers and NHS users alike should be reassured that audiologists are following protocols in place for safety, and know that they will be welcomed. It seems appointments may be in short supply initially as we work through the inevitable backlog of patients needing help, but after a year of trundling along (and in my case doing a lot of dog walking and boxset watching!) I couldn’t be happier to get back to the business of helping people get their confidence and their social lives back in order through better hearing and living.