Hearing Care
The TV creeps louder. Phone calls feel like hard work. Someone you love keeps saying "pardon?" and the family has started repeating themselves without thinking about it. A home hearing test answers the question everyone is quietly asking, without a trip to the high street, and without any pressure to buy anything.
The short version
A home hearing test is a full hearing check carried out in your living room by an HCPC registered audiologist. It takes about an hour, the HomeSight hearing check is free, and you get clear results the same day. If your hearing is fine, we tell you so. If it is not, you find out exactly what would help. Call 0800 080 6095 or book a home hearing visit.
A home hearing test is the same clinical assessment you would receive in a high street clinic, delivered at your kitchen table or favourite armchair. The audiologist brings calibrated portable equipment, checks your ears, measures your hearing across the pitches that matter for speech, and explains the results in plain English before they leave.
It exists for a simple reason: the people most likely to have hearing loss are often the people least able to get to a clinic. Around 12 million adults in the UK live with some degree of hearing loss, and among the over-70s it affects roughly 7 in 10 people. Mobility, frailty, dementia or caring responsibilities should not decide whether any of them get answers.
Book a home hearing test if any of these sound familiar, for you or for a relative you help look after:
The TV keeps getting louder Asking people to repeat themselves Phone calls feel harder A blocked or full feeling Ringing or buzzing (tinnitus) Withdrawing from conversation
It is also worth booking if nothing is obviously wrong but it has been more than two years since the last check. Hearing tends to fade gradually, and most people wait far too long: on average people live with hearing loss for years before doing anything about it, and by then the strain of following conversation has often shrunk their world more than they realise.
1A conversation first. The audiologist asks about your hearing, your health and the situations you struggle in. Ten minutes of talking, no equipment yet.
2A look inside your ears. A quick, painless check with an otoscope. Sometimes the answer is as simple as a build-up of earwax, which we can also remove at home.
3The hearing test itself. You wear headphones and press a button when you hear tones at different pitches and volumes. The room just needs to be reasonably quiet.
4Results explained on the spot. You see your audiogram and hear what it means in everyday terms: what you are hearing well, what you are missing, and why speech sounds muffled in company.
5A plan, only if you need one. If your hearing is within the normal range, we say so and that is the end of it. If hearing aids would help, the options and prices are explained clearly, with a trial period, and the decision stays entirely yours.
Allow about an hour, a little longer if wax removal is needed on the day. The visit fits around you, not the other way round: a family member or carer is welcome to sit in, and the appointment can be adapted for patients who are bed bound or living with dementia.
Home hearing check: free. No call-out fee, no obligation, and no charge if the answer is "your hearing is fine".
Earwax removal, if needed: £80. Otoscopy first, then microsuction, irrigation or manual removal, whichever is clinically right for you.
Hearing aids, only if you choose them: packages fitted at home with up to 5 years of warranty and aftercare, with 0% finance available. Full prices are on our hearing care page.
10+ years
is how long people typically wait to address hearing loss. The check that ends the waiting takes about an hour.
You cannot leave home easily, or only with help
Travel, parking and waiting rooms wear you out
You are arranging care for a parent and want to be present
You hear best in familiar, quiet surroundings, which also makes the test more reliable
You are mobile, driving, and happy to travel
You want a soundproof booth test for an occupational requirement, which some employers specify
The clinical standard is the same either way: HomeSight audiologists are HCPC registered, and the equipment is calibrated exactly as clinic equipment is. The difference is the setting, and for most older adults the setting is the whole battle.
Two things not to do
Do not ignore sudden hearing loss. Hearing that drops suddenly, in one ear or both, is urgent. Contact your GP or NHS 111 the same day rather than waiting for a routine test.
Do not go digging with cotton buds. If an ear feels blocked, poking pushes wax deeper and can damage the ear canal. Have it looked at properly instead.
We cover Greater London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire. You can check your postcode here. Booking takes one phone call or a short form, and you, a relative or a care home can arrange the visit on a patient's behalf. One of the team calls back within one working day to confirm.
Ready to hear clearly at home again?
Free home hearing check, carried out by an HCPC registered audiologist.
Book a home hearing testIs a home hearing test as accurate as one in a clinic?
Yes, for diagnostic purposes. The audiologist uses calibrated equipment and simply needs a reasonably quiet room. For most patients the results match clinic testing closely, and being relaxed at home often helps.
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You, a relative or a carer can contact us directly on 0800 080 6095 and we arrange everything from there.
Is the home hearing check really free?
Yes. There is no charge and no call-out fee for the hearing check itself. You only ever pay for treatment you choose, such as earwax removal at £80 or hearing aids if you decide to go ahead.
What if the test shows I need hearing aids?
Nothing happens without your say-so. We explain the recommended options, package levels, prices and the trial period, then leave the decision with you. Aids are fitted at home and fine-tuned at follow-up visits.
Can you test someone who is bed bound or living with dementia?
Usually, yes. Our clinicians are experienced with dementia, communication difficulties and limited mobility, and we adapt the appointment to the person. Tell us what would help when you book.
How often should hearing be tested?
Every two years is a sensible rhythm for the over-50s, or sooner if anything changes: more repetition, louder TV, a blocked feeling, or ringing in the ears.
Booking for a parent or someone you care for?
We arrange everything with you, and you are welcome to be there on the day. Call us on 0800 080 6095, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Call 0800 080 6095