What audiology has to offer

Four audiology companies that exhibited at 100% Optical last month spoke exclusively to OT about what each company has to offer and how they work with opticians who wish to offer audiology in practice.

Audiology provider Sonova is both a manufacturer and a retailer, its business development manager, Steven Ross explained to OT. Sonova works with its partners, such as Boots Hearing Care, to help optical businesses incorporate hearing care into their practice successfully.

As an independent provider of hearing care, Amplify’s audiologists are all independent, explained its project manager, Declan Bailey. “[Our] model is very different and unique as the independents are striving together for a common goal,” he said.  

With around 133 branches, as well as 66 day centres across the UK, Amplifon is a global hearing care provider. Sharing insight into its day centre offering, audiologist and Amplifon’s training partner in the south east, Rasna Mistry, explained that this means an audiologist attending a practice for a consultation or aftercare. 

She revealed that for any appointments referred to Amplifon, the practice receives £10, while they also receive 10% commission on any products sold.

founder of The Hearing Care Partnership, Ryan Leighton, explained that the company is designed to be all about supporting independent optometry. “We do things differently in order to complement their optical business,” he said, adding: “Not only are we trying to run a really high quality, clinical audiology service within their optical practice, but we are also trying to develop a service which can promote their optical practice and, if possible, assist their growth on the optical side of the business.”