UK market making a good recovery

The hearing instrument market is making a good recovery following lockdown.

Latest UK and Irish hearing instrument Q3 data shows the private hearing instrument market is recovering well, with the NHS market picking up at a slower rate.

The British and Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA) has released their Q3 2020 results of members’ unit sales, providing insight into how the UK and Irish hearing aid market is recovering from the effects of lockdown.

NHS recovery has started, with 195,551 units sold – up from 52,142 in Q2 – but is still slow, with Q3 down 48.6% on Q3 2019 and down 50.1% on the year to date (YTD).

The UK private market has recovered well following lockdown and is showing growth in Q3 with units up 13.6% on Q3 last year, but it is still down 26.3% YTD.

Ireland has bounced back more quickly than the UK, with Q3 up 14.4% on Q3 2019 and figures are down by only 12.8% YTD.

BIHIMA also tracks the trends in the styles of technology selected by patients in the private sector. There has been an increase in sales of ITE (In The Ear) custom aids at 16.5% compared to 10.5% in Q3 2019. The demand for CIC (Completely In The Canal) and IIC (Invisible In The Canal) custom aids has fallen this year, with sales in Q3 at 5.3% compared with 10.1% in Q3 2019: this follows a trend we saw emerging in Q1.

“Our industry is recovering from the effects of lockdown, but the impact on figures due to reduction in activity and continued restrictions remains, especially in the NHS. Ireland and the UK private market have shown significant growth – we hope to see this continue into Q4 and predict NHS numbers will increase further as the pressures of the pandemic ease,” said BIHIMA chairman, Paul Surridge.

Download the full market data results here.

In its role as the voice for the hearing technology industry, BIHIMA regularly monitors the market and releases the results of its members every quarter. To keep up to date with the latest market information sign up to receive BIHIMA’s quarterly results here.
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About BIHIMA:
BIHIMA represents the hearing instrument manufacturers of Britain and Ireland, working in partnership with other professional, trade, regulatory and consumer organisations within the health care and charitable sectors. We raise consumer awareness about the latest hearing technology, and aim to influence government and policy makers to improve the lives of people with hearing difficulties.

For further information, visit www.bihima.com