You can have a full hearing assessment free on the NHS, and many private clinics offer free tests too. Other clinics charge for the appointment. At Alto, our Complete Hearing Assessment costs £75.
A free test can be thorough. We wouldn’t judge an assessment by its price, and we wouldn’t want anyone to put off getting help because they thought paying was their only option.
Getting a hearing test free
Your GP can refer you to an audiologist for a free NHS hearing test. The appointment may be at a hospital, in a community clinic or with a high-street provider delivering NHS care.
In England, some services operate through Any Qualified Provider arrangements, known as AQP. An approved provider sees you as an NHS patient, even if it also offers private appointments. Eligibility and referral arrangements vary locally; your GP practice can explain which services you can use.
A free private appointment can also include a full assessment. There may be a charge for hearing aids or other care afterwards, so check what is included before booking. If a practice offers both NHS and private services, confirm which appointment you are arranging.
| Appointment | Cost | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| NHS hearing assessment | Free | A full assessment. Referral and eligibility arrangements vary locally. |
| Free private hearing test | Free | May include a full assessment. Check what is included and the costs of any care afterwards. |
| Alto SoundCheck | Free20 minutes | An ear-health check, hearing screen and advice about further assessment. |
| Alto Complete Hearing Assessment | £7590 minutes | Ear and middle-ear checks, hearing and speech-in-noise tests, with findings and options explained. |
A hearing screen or a full assessment?
Some free appointments are hearing screens. These check for signs of hearing loss and help establish whether you need further assessment. They involve fewer tests and won’t investigate every hearing difficulty.
At Alto, our free SoundCheck takes 20 minutes. It includes an ear-health check, hearing screening and advice about whether further assessment is needed.
If you continue to struggle after a reassuring screen, tell the audiologist. You can also book a full assessment without having a screening appointment first.
Why we charge £75
Your appointment at Alto
90 minutes · £75
- Ear and middle-ear checks
- Hearing and speech-in-noise tests
- Results explained
- Advice and treatment options
Our Complete Hearing Assessment lasts 90 minutes. We examine your ears, check middle-ear function, assess your hearing and test how you follow speech in background noise. We then explain the findings and discuss what could help.
We charge for that appointment separately because you may want our assessment and advice without buying hearing aids from us. Hearing aids and their ongoing care are a separate decision and cost.
Speech-in-noise testing helps us investigate a difficulty you may recognise: hearing someone’s voice but missing the words. Listening for quiet beeps through headphones measures one aspect of hearing; following speech with competing sound gives us more information about where you struggle.
We also want to hear about the things you’ve found ways to manage. Sitting in a particular seat or asking someone else to make a phone call may have become so routine that you no longer think to mention it. Those details help us understand how your hearing affects you and what you want treatment to improve.
If we recommend hearing aids, we explain why, what we expect them to help with and where difficulties may remain. You may already have a pair and want to know whether changing them would make enough difference to justify the cost. We need to discuss that with you before you decide.
By the end of the appointment, you should understand your results, our recommendation and the costs of any treatment you are considering. There is a fuller description in our guide to what happens at a hearing test.
If your hearing changes suddenly, don’t wait for a routine test. Seek an urgent GP appointment or advice from NHS 111 for sudden hearing loss, hearing that worsens over days or weeks, or hearing loss with earache or discharge. NHS guidance.
Arrange a Complete Hearing Assessment
If you would like us to investigate a hearing difficulty, our Complete Hearing Assessment costs £75. We offer appointments in Lutterworth, Kenilworth, Clitheroe and Market Bosworth.
Speak to the team about an assessment.
or call 0800 246 1901