Experiences of NHS Community Audiology Services in East Sussex
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Healthwatch East Sussex undertook research on experiences of NHS community audiology services in East Sussex. They spoke to 224 people through a digital poll, including 102 people who had used audiology services since April 2026 and 44 who had used one of the three NHS-commissioned community audiology providers: Specsavers, The Hearing People and Scrivens.
Overall, satisfaction with community audiology services was relatively high. Around half to two-thirds of respondents rated providers as excellent or good across areas such as waiting times, hearing assessments, communication, staff professionalism and hearing aid provision. Waiting times were generally viewed positively, although experiences varied between providers and some respondents reported difficulties contacting services or understanding how community audiology services differed from hospital-based audiology care.
The main areas of concern related to access to follow-up support, repairs, maintenance and replacement hearing aid parts. Respondents also highlighted difficulties obtaining batteries and servicing, concerns about having to wait five years between hearing assessments, and the limited availability of some services in rural areas. Some people felt communication about available support and referral pathways could be clearer.
Healthwatch East Sussex concluded that community audiology services were generally meeting people's needs but identified opportunities for improvement. Recommendations included providing clearer information about audiology services and support pathways, improving access to hearing aid maintenance and repairs, reviewing hearing reassessment intervals, gathering regular patient feedback, and strengthening collaboration between providers and other local hearing support services.