Experiences of NHS Community Audiology Services in East Sussex
NHS community audiology services provide support and treatment to improve people’s hearing health. They deliver hearing assessments, as well as hearing aid provision, maintenance, and supplies for age-related hearing loss to people aged 55 and over.
On the 1st April 2026, these services moved from East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (ESHT) and are now provided on behalf of the NHS locally by Scrivens, The Hearing People, and Specsavers.
We have heard mixed feedback about people’s experiences of community audiology services since the changes took place.
To explore this further, we developed a short digital poll to gather recent experiences from those using these services.
Our project
During June and July 2026, we ran a short digital poll asking people about their experiences of NHS community audiology services in East Sussex in the last 12 months.
This was posted on our website and distributed in our newsletter and via our networks, including local authority, NHS and voluntary sector partners.
We used the responses received to explore three specific areas:
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Which NHS community audiology providers people had used
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The quality of different aspects of NHS community audiology provision from a user perspective
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What changes people felt may improve NHS community audiology services
Key Findings
Our report identifies the key themes we’ve heard, including:
Which NHS community audiology providers people had used
224 people completed our poll. Of these 102 indicated they had used an audiology or linked service in East Sussex since April 2026.
44 of the 102 indicated they had used one of the three commissioned providers of NHS community audiology services: Specsavers (28), The Hearing People (13), and Scrivens (3).
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Improvements in access to NHS audiology services, especially for those living in rural areas, and in being able to access one-stop-shop locations for all their audiology needs.
“Have a system whereby I don't have to go to multiple agencies to obtain replacement hearing aids - and shorter waiting times.”
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Shorter intervals between hearing tests, feeling the current five years is too long to wait, and may not be regular enough to cater for their changing needs.
“I have had to wait almost 5 years for this review. Going back to three-yearly tests will help a great deal.” -
Greater availability of equipment, replacements and spares and support to ensure devices are well maintained.
“A consistent local place to obtain batteries & tubes & communication to users when any changes take place. At the moment, it seems a bit haphazard!”
Recommendations
Based on the feedback we’ve received, we have identified several areas where changes could improve the experiences of patients now and in the future, which include:
- Clear, uniform and accessible information explaining local community audiology services, hospital audiology services, referral pathways and available support for users, the public and services.
- Collaboration between commissioners, community audiology providers and other services to explore how access to maintenance, spares and repairs may be improved for users of hearing aids.
- A review of hearing test/reassessment criteria and intervals, including patient outcome data and stakeholder feedback, with the aim of ensuring all eligible patients can access reassessment within clinically appropriate timeframes.
- Regular capturing of feedback and experiences from community audiology service users to identify key learning and priorities for improvement, change and further development.
Response from Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board
Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) who commission NHS community audiology services locally, responded to our findings and recommendations in October 2026:
“The Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board welcomes this report from Healthwatch East Sussex and would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their experiences of community audiology services.
The feedback and insights provided are invaluable in helping us understand what is working well for patients and where further improvements may be needed. We recognise the importance of ensuring that people can access high-quality, responsive audiology services, with clear information, effective communication, and ongoing support for hearing aid maintenance and repairs.
The ICB is currently establishing an Audiology Reference Group, bringing together patients, providers, and key stakeholders to support the continued development of audiology services across Sussex.
We will use the findings and recommendations in this report to inform that group's work and help shape future service improvements, ensuring that the voices and experiences of local people remain central to service design and delivery.”
Next steps
We will continue to monitor the feedback we receive about audiology services, sharing examples and the themes, with both those commissioning services and the providers to raise awareness of the experiences of patients.
We will share this report with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, and Healthwatch England and others to share this insight and support future service development.
Share Your Feedback
If you would like to tell us about your experience of NHS and/or social care services, be it good or bad, please contact us via our Feedback Centre or our I&S Service via enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk or 0333 101 4007 (Monday – Friday, 10am – 2pm).
