Audiology services in Eastern Devon.

Information for patients

The following details outline how to access your hearing care from 1 April 2025.

This will be different for two groups:

  • Group 1: Routine audiology service is for patients, age 55 years and over, with age-related hearing loss
  • Group 2: Specialist audiology services are predominantly for patients aged 54 and under i.e. paediatrics, adults aged 18-54 years or with severe, profound or complex losses, patients fitted with bone anchored hearing aids (all ages), balance problems, tinnitus, etc.

For people in group 1 (routine audiology service)

NHS Devon has commissioned several new providers locally to deliver community audiology services for the Devon area. Devon Referral Support Service (DRSS) will be in contact to discuss with you the options to choose another provider for future appointments.

What to do if you need repairs but haven’t yet been contacted by Devon Referral Support Services (DRSS) to choose a new provider

If you are an existing hearing aid user, with a hearing aid supplied from CHIME in the last three years and require repairs (this includes domes, tubing, wax traps etc.), contact Devon Referral Support Services (DRSS) on the details below. They will be able to assist you in accessing support with a new provider.

Devon Referral Support Services

Contact information can also be found on the One Devon website:

Referral support

Patient records will be held by Royal Devon and Exeter University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Royal Devon) until your new provider has been chosen, and they will request this record from Royal Devon.

Patients will no longer be able to access repairs on the day from CHIME Queen Street.

What to do if you need batteries but haven’t yet been contacted by DRSS to choose a new provider

Patients may contact all providers listed below for batteries only.  

Devon Hearing Services (also known as Audiological Science Ltd.)

Patients can collect batteries in person at the following locations:

  • Devon Hearing Services, Tor View Clinical Rooms, 4 Kew Court, Exeter EX2 5AZ
  • St Leonard’s Practice, Athelstan Rd, St Leonards, Exeter, EX1 1SB
  • Culm Valley Integrated Health Centre, Willand Road, Cullompton, EX15 1FE
  • Sidmouth Hospital, Sidmouth, EX10 8EW *
  • Exmouth hospital, Claremont Grove, Exmouth, EX8 2JN

* Note: Batteries and consumables cannot be collected from this site, please request these using the phone number below and they will be posted to you.

Patients can also contact Devon Hearing Services for postal services by calling 01392 305746 or emailing info@devonhearingservices.com

Please ensure you have your NHS number to hand for any requests.

Scrivens Hearing Care

  • M&S Opticians – also trading as Scrivens Hearing Care (First Floor, inside the Marks & Spencer store), 212-219 High Street, Exeter, EX4 3QA
  • Scrivens Hearing Care at Imperial Surgery, 47-49 Imperial Rd, Exmouth, EX8 1D
  • Scrivens Hearing Care at Croft Hall Medical Centre, 19 Croft Road, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 5UA
  • Scrivens Hearing Care at Seaton & Colyton Medical Practice, 148 Harepath Rd, Seaton, EX12 2DU
  • Scrivens Hearing Care at Seachange Centre, East Budleigh Road, Budleigh Salterton, EX9 6HF
  • Scrivens Hearing Care, 21-22 Queen St, Exeter EX4 3SH

Patients can request consumables (including batteries) on 0800 027 5102 or at customercare@scrivens.com.

Specsavers

  • Specsavers Exeter, 247-248 High Street, Exeter, EX4 3PZ
  • Specsavers Honiton, 121 High Street, EX14 1LS
  • Specsavers Exmouth, 8 Exeter Road, EX8 1PL
  • Specsavers Tiverton, 31A Gold Street, Tiverton, EX16 6QB
  • Specsavers Okehampton, 17 Fore Street, Okehampton, EX20 1AN

Please ensure you have your NHS number to hand for any requests.

Call 0800 027 5102 to arrange for batteries and repairs.

The ICB is aware that Southwest Audiology Services (SAS), was previously incorrectly identified as a provider of NHS Audiology Services in communication sent to patients by the exiting provider, and this is not the case.

Other community age-related hearing loss audiology providers in Devon

For people in Group 2 (specialist audiology services)

Your care will transfer to the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Royal Devon). They will contact you. You do not need to do anything. 

If you have any questions relating to this future service, please contact RDUH.Specialist.Audiology@nhs.net in the first instance.

Patient records will be transferred to Royal Devon as part of this service change.

For any other concerns or formal complaints

Should you have any further questions or concerns, or wish to make a complaint these should be directed to the NHS Devon patient experience team:

Recent contract changes

Audiology services in Eastern Devon (East, Exeter and Mid Devon) have been provided by CHIME Social Enterprise CiC under a pilot model since June 2019.

This contract model meant that other audiology providers are unable to see an NHS patient who is registered with an East, Exeter or Mid Devon GP practice.

Significant concerns were raised with NHS Devon about growing waiting times for this service, both for diagnostic assessment and hearing aid fittings, and the lack of choice for patients. Waiting time data suggested that routine audiology appointments with CHIME were significantly longer than in other parts of Devon.

A review of the pilot in early 2024 assessed whether to continue with the pilot model, or to revert to a service delivery model like that in place in the rest of the county of Devon and in most areas of England.

As the pilot evaluation had not demonstrated any of the expected outcomes it was agreed to adopt the model that has continued to be successfully used in the other parts of Devon and the rest of the country, by separating specialist and routine services.

  • Routine Adult Hearing Aid Services (for people aged 55 and over)
  • Specialist audiology services (paediatrics and complex adults)

The contract held by CHIME Social Enterprise for routine and specialist audiology in the Eastern locality of Devon (East Devon, Exeter and Mid Devon) ended on 31 March 2025.

CHIME was invited to tender when this opportunity was advertised to the market in 2024 but made the decision to not pursue a new contract with NHS Devon.

New providers for both elements of the service have been identified following the procurement process.

As part of this procurement, NHS Devon increased the number of providers offering the routine audiology service (also described as community age-related hearing loss service) to improve access for local people. This increase in providers will increase capacity and reduce wait times for patients.

Through these new contracts, patients in Eastern Devon can now self-refer to the routine audiology services. This will improve patient access as they won’t need to see their GP for a referral, however patients can still visit a GP for their referral, should they wish too.

The new providers began delivering care from 1 April 2025 (more information below) and they continue to introduce new sites across Eastern Devon as they roll-out the new service.

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is the new provider for specialist services and took over the care of patients under this service from 1 April 2025.

Both the routine and specialist audiology service will continue to be fully funded by the NHS and free to all eligible patients, no matter the provider.