NHS and UK hearing aids in Nerja: an honest guide
Plenty of people who've moved here from the UK brought their hearing aids with them: NHS ones, or ones bought on the high street back home. All is well until the tubing goes hard, the batteries run out or the hearing aid starts whistling, and the audiology department that fitted it is back in the UK. We're a small family practice in the centre of Nerja, mother and son, and we speak English. We look after hearing aids of any brand, wherever they were bought. This page sets out what we can do for you, what we can't, and what's worth sorting out with the NHS.
In short: NHS hearing aids are lent to you, and free batteries and repairs come from the NHS service that fitted them. Once you live in Spain, that service is a long way off, and you may no longer be entitled to use it. Here in Nerja we can clean, check and diagnose your hearing aid, in English, and tell you the price before we do anything. We're not part of the NHS, so we can't supply NHS parts or replacement hearing aids.
NHS hearing aids: what you need to know
- They're on loan. The NHS provides hearing aids free of charge as a long-term loan, and there may be a charge if you lose or break one. NHS services say the same: Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, for example, supplies its hearing aids on loan and charges if one is lost or damaged through carelessness.
- Batteries and repairs are free, from the service that fitted them. That's how the NHS puts it. Some services will do this by post. At University Hospitals Sussex, for example, you can have batteries and tubing posted to you if you send in your battery card, your used batteries and return postage, and both Sussex and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde accept repairs by post.
- Living in Spain can change things. The UK government warns that UK nationals who move abroad permanently may lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare. There's an exception: UK nationals who were living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020, and who have a registered, UK-issued S1, don't have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. Whether that covers your hearing aid service, and whether they'll post to a Spanish address, is something only your NHS audiology service can tell you.
- Spain's public health service works differently. Spain's national list of public health benefits only includes hearing aids for children and young people up to the age of 26 (Orden SCB/480/2019, BOE). Your health centre (centro de salud) can tell you if anything else applies to you.
Which NHS hearing aid have I got?
That depends on the NHS service that fitted it. NHS hearing aids are usually behind-the-ear models or, very occasionally, receiver-in-the-ear. The makes vary from one area to another: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Nottingham University Hospitals, for example, publish guides for Phonak and Danalogic hearing aids, and Which? mentions Oticon and Phonak. Danalogic is part of the GN group, and some of its ranges are designed specifically with and for the NHS.
Look for the make and model on the hearing aid itself or on the paperwork you were given. If you can't find it, take a photo of the hearing aid and send it to us on WhatsApp: it helps us tell you before you come whether it's something we're likely to be able to help with.
What we can do for you
- A thorough clean of the hearing aid, the tubing, the mould or the dome. Wax and moisture can block the sound.
- A full check-up, to see whether it's working properly.
- Fault diagnosis: if something's wrong, we find out what it is, explain your options and give you a clear price before we go any further.
- The tubing: it hardens and discolours over time, and RNID suggests changing it every 4 to 6 months. We'll check yours and tell you whether it needs changing.
- Batteries and protective earplugs, and chargers for the models sold in Spain. Bring your old battery or the packet so we can check the size.
Signs that your hearing aid is due a check: it whistles when it didn't before, sounds weak or muffled, crackles or cuts out, or the tube has gone yellow or stiff, or has little drops of water inside. Very often it isn't broken at all: it just needs a proper clean.
What we can't promise
- We're not the NHS. We can't give you free NHS batteries, repairs or replacement hearing aids, and we can't order NHS parts. If you've lost an NHS hearing aid, the service that fitted it is the place to ask.
- We can't promise to reprogramme it. New settings on an NHS hearing aid usually come from the NHS service that fitted it. We'll have a look at yours and tell you straight what we can do.
- Some parts may not be available here. If a part or accessory isn't sold in Spain, we may not be able to get it, and that can happen with ranges made specifically for the NHS. We'll tell you from the outset.
- We don't remove ear wax. In Spain that's a medical procedure for your GP (médico de cabecera) or an ENT doctor. More in ear wax and hearing aids.
Bought your hearing aids privately in the UK?
If you paid for your hearing aids at a high street chain or an independent hearing centre, they're yours. The NHS advice for private hearing aids is to contact the provider you bought them from for repairs, and you may have to pay if it isn't included in your plan. So before anyone opens them up, check whether your warranty or aftercare plan still applies. Beyond that, we can clean them, check them and tell you what's wrong, just as we would with any other hearing aid.
One thing to bear in mind: in some parts of England, high street companies such as Specsavers and Scrivens provide NHS hearing services, according to Which?. So if you got your hearing aids free from a high street shop, they may well be NHS ones, on loan.
Moving to Spain, or going back for a visit? A short checklist
- Ask your NHS audiology service what they'd like you to do with your NHS hearing aids once you live in Spain.
- Ask whether they can give you spare tubing, domes or wax filters, and whether they'll post batteries to you here.
- Ask for a copy of your latest hearing test, and write down the make and model of your hearing aids.
- Keep your battery book and any NHS paperwork: it shows which service fitted your hearing aids.
- If you have a UK-issued S1, check on GOV.UK what NHS care you can still use when you visit England.
Hearing not what it was?
Sometimes the hearing aid is fine and it's your hearing that has changed. Our hearing test is free, takes about 20 minutes and there's no obligation: if you don't need anything, we'll tell you. And if a new hearing aid is the answer, you can try it for a few days in your everyday life before you decide. We work mainly with Phonak, Signia and ReSound.
Do I need an appointment?
No. Walk in Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:30, mornings only. You'll find us at Calle Pintada 58, in the centre of Nerja, and the practice is wheelchair accessible. If you're coming from Maro, Frigiliana, Torrox, Almuñécar or Torre del Mar, drop us a WhatsApp first so we know to expect you. You're very welcome to bring your partner or a friend along.
Common questions
Are NHS hearing aids mine to keep?
Not exactly. The NHS provides hearing aids free of charge as a long-term loan, and there may be a charge if you lose or break one. If you're moving to Spain for good, ask your NHS audiology service what they'd like you to do with them.
Can I still get free NHS batteries and repairs now I live in Spain?
Possibly, but don't count on it. Free batteries and repairs come from the NHS service that fitted your hearing aids, and some will post batteries or take repairs by post. The UK government says people who move abroad permanently may lose their entitlement to free NHS care, with an exception for some UK nationals with a registered, UK-issued S1 when they visit England. Only your NHS audiology service can tell you what applies to you, and whether they'll post to Spain.
Can you repair my NHS hearing aid?
We can clean it, check it and find out what's wrong. Then we'll explain your options and the price before we do anything. Because NHS hearing aids are on loan, sometimes the best option is to send it back to the NHS service that fitted it, and we'll tell you if that's the case. If it needs a part that isn't sold in Spain, we may not be able to get it.
Can you reprogramme or adjust my NHS hearing aid?
We can't promise that. Some ranges are designed specifically for the NHS, and new settings usually come from the NHS service that fitted it. Bring it in, or send us a photo of it on WhatsApp, and we'll tell you honestly what we can do.
Do you sell batteries for UK hearing aids?
We sell hearing aid batteries. Bring your old battery or the packet so we can check the size. If your hearing aid is rechargeable and you need a new charger, ask us first: if that charger isn't sold in Spain, we may not have it.
My hearing aids came from Specsavers. Are they NHS or private?
It depends. In some parts of England, high street companies such as Specsavers and Scrivens provide NHS hearing services, so a hearing aid you got free from a high street shop may well be an NHS one. If you paid for it, it's a private hearing aid: check whether your warranty or aftercare plan still applies before anyone repairs it. Either way, we can clean it and check it.
Will the Spanish health service give me a hearing aid?
Spain's national list of public health benefits only includes hearing aids for children and young people up to the age of 26. Your health centre (centro de salud) can tell you if anything else applies to you. Our hearing test is free, takes about 20 minutes and there's no obligation.
Are you part of the NHS?
No. We're Oye de Nuevo, a small family practice in Nerja, mother and son, and we're not connected with the NHS. That's why we can't hand out NHS parts or replacement hearing aids, but we can look after your hearing aid here, in English.
Can you remove the wax from my ears while I'm there?
No. In Spain, ear wax removal is a medical procedure, done by your GP (médico de cabecera) or an ENT doctor. What we do is clean the wax out of your hearing aid.
Do I need an appointment?
No. Walk in Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:30, mornings only. If you're coming from further afield, send us a WhatsApp on 620 94 12 15 first so we know to expect you.
Where this information comes from
We checked these official and independent sources in October 2026. Rules and services change, and they vary from one NHS area to another, so your own NHS audiology service always has the last word. This page is general information, not NHS advice.
- NHS: Hearing aids and implants
- GOV.UK: Healthcare in Spain
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust: Audiology
- University Hospitals Sussex: Audiology, useful resources
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: Audiology
- Nottingham University Hospitals: Hearing aids
- BOE: Orden SCB/480/2019 (Spain's public health cover for hearing aids)
- BOE: Royal Decree 1030/2006, Annex VI (consolidated text)
- RNID: Cleaning and maintaining hearing aids
- Which?: NHS hearing aids
- Danalogic (GN Hearing)
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