Revolutionary Hearing Aids Approved

• Tens of thousands of people with hearing loss to benefit from Government action as it delivers Plan for Change to drive growth and improve living standards
• Green light for companies to sell innovative devices, like earphones with hearing aid functionality
• Pro-business move supports UK's ambitions to be tech superpower and shift health care from analogue to digital

Tens of thousands of people with hearing loss will have access to groundbreaking new hearing aid devices, thanks to Government action.

Fresh guidance has been published today (Thursday 16 January), giving businesses around the world the green light to sell certain pioneering hearing aids here in the UK.

This includes earphones with both hearing test and hearing aid software functionalities. Such revolutionary products allow someone to take a hearing test at home using their earphones and an app on their phone. If the test indicates mild to moderate hearing loss, the person can then switch on the hearing aid function on the same earphones.

This will make it easier and more convenient for patients to manage their own health. Combatting hearing loss can also reduce associated risks like social isolation.

The Government's Plan for Change has a laser-focus on securing the UK's position as a global tech powerhouse which fosters innovation to transform the lives of working people, with the Prime Minister this week setting out a blueprint to unleash artificial intelligence across the UK - including in healthcare - and deliver a decade of national renewal.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

"Britain can be a powerhouse for medical technology, but only if we rip out pointless regulation that suffocates innovation.

"Groundbreaking new hearing aid devices have the potential to help tens of thousands of people with hearing loss, helping them to live their life to the full. The action we're taking will give businesses the green-light to start selling these products to patients across the UK.

"This is part of the work this government is undertaking in partnership with leading technology companies, to harness the revolution in medical technology, bring our analogue healthcare into the digital age, and make life more convenient for patients."

One in three adults in the UK are deaf or experience hearing loss or tinnitus - which rises to more than 50% of over-55s.

Of these, approximately 53% use hearing aids. Currently, there is uncertainty about whether patients are able to buy hearing aids directly, including as part of testing their hearing at home. Today's guidance will put an end to this confusion - speeding up patient access to the devices while making the UK an attractive place to manufacture innovative and wearable medical technology.

The move delivers on the Prime Minister's commitment at the International Investment Summit to tackle bureaucracy blocking investment and remove unnecessary regulatory burdens that have previously stifled growth.

There are lots of possible causes of hearing loss. It may be caused by something treatable or it may be permanent. The NHS advises that if patients have not already undergone a clinical assessment, they should see a GP if:

• they think their hearing is getting gradually worse
• they've had treatment for an ear infection or earwax build-up but their hearing has not come back
• they have sudden hearing loss in 1 or both ears
• their hearing has been getting worse over the last few days or weeks
• their have hearing loss along with other symptoms, such as earache or discharge coming out of the ear

Patients can also have hearing tests at some pharmacists and opticians too.

Patient safety will be paramount, and the Government will ensure that all manufacturers comply with the relevant legislation. People will also still be encouraged to seek clinical advice through their GP if they are having problems with their hearing.

This will help fulfil two of the 10 Year Health Plan's key goals - moving care from hospital to the community and shifting the health service from analogue to digital.

The move will help establish the UK as a global leader for innovative treatments and technologies, supporting sustained economic growth, good jobs and increased productivity across the country, while ensuring patients have greater control of their own healthcare.

Notes:

• The Government has already set out a series of steps to ensure this kind of innovation is nurtured in the UK.
• In October, a new group was set up to ensure new technologies - like AI for better treatments in our NHS and drones delivering emergency supplies to all corners of the UK, could reach the public faster.
• The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) will reduce the burden for businesses hoping to bring new products and services to the market, including AI training software for surgeons to deliver more accurate surgical treatments for patients.
• It will speed up approvals and ensure different regulatory bodies work together smoothly.