Cochlear Implant Information
In the UK, around 900,000 people live with severe or profound hearing loss, yet only about 12,000 have received a cochlear implant. Uptake remains low for several reasons, including limited awareness of cochlear implants as a treatment option, uncertainty among healthcare providers about when to refer, and concerns about the process itself.
Many individuals with significant hearing loss struggle with traditional amplification methods—or receive no amplification at all—due to limited benefit. As Hearing Aid Dispensers (HADs), it's our responsibility to act in the best interests of our customers by ensuring they have access to all the information needed to make informed decisions about their hearing care.
Cochlear implants have been shown to significantly improve hearing outcomes compared to hearing aids alone or no treatment, especially in terms of speech perception and overall quality of life.
This page provides:
The latest referral criteria for cochlear implants
Insights from our Board Member Jayne Bryce’s personal referral journey
Additional resources to support your understanding and next steps
The 2019 NICE guidance (TA566) defines who is eligible for a cochlear implant as follows:
- For people hearing only sounds that are equal to or louder than 80 dBHL at two or more frequencies (500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz and 4,000 Hz) bilaterally without acoustic hearing aids.
- For adults, a phoneme score of 50% or less on the Arthur Boothroyd word test presented at 70 dBA (in the best aided condition).
You may generally consider cochlear implants for people who:
- Have severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears.
- Get limited benefit from hearing aids..
- Are motivated to attend programming sessions, aural rehabilitation sessions and practice listening in daily communication.
- Have no medical contraindications.
To find a hearing implant specialist near you, visit the Cochlear UK interactive map
CPD Webinar - Cochlear Implantation – information update and referral pathways
We are delighted to share the recording of our webinar which took place on 24th November 2025.
Watch host Jayne Bryce, BSHAA Director of Professional Development, presenter Charlotte Rogers of Cochlear Ltd, and co-host Sarah-Louise Thomas, BSHAA Education Working Group, discuss cochlear implantation and find out more.
Charlotte is the Referral Education Manager for Cochlear Ltd. UK & Ireland. Following a career in the NHS as a Hearing Therapist and Senior Lecturer in Audiology, Charlotte joined Cochlear in 2023. In her current role, she continues to promote a long-standing passion for improving access to cochlear implantation for adult patients and for the clinicians that support them.
This webinar revisits and refreshes knowledge and understanding of the current NICE referral criteria in the UK. We explore the current evidence base and reflect on the large proportion of adults who may benefit but may miss referral or lack access to information.
We touch on useful resources for your clinics and talk about Cochlear volunteers and their lived experiences, patient stories, case examples and the great possible outcomes.
View the materials from the webinar
Watch the inspiring conversation between Jayne Bryce, BSHAA Professional Development Director, and her patient, David, as they explore David’s incredible journey with cochlear implants.
From the challenges he faced before surgery to the remarkable improvements in his confidence, communication, and quality of life, David’s story is both uplifting and eye-opening. If you’re curious about the real impact cochlear implants can have, or simply enjoy a powerful human story, click below to watch their insightful chat.
Read Jayne's Blog Breaking Down Barriers: How a BSHAA Event Helped Me Change a Client's Life
Additional resources to support your understanding and next steps
COACH trials
By 2050, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide1 will be living with some type of hearing loss, with at least 700 million2 requiring hearing rehabilitation12. At BSHAA, like many other organisations, we are acutely aware of the impact hearing loss can have on a person’s quality of life and employment, as well as its association with an increased risk of cognitive decline.
The question of what type of rehabilitation is best for the patient has long been asked for those living with severe hearing loss - around one million people in the UK3. Nottingham based researchers, led by Dr Pádraig Kitterick and Professor Doug Hartley, have embarked on answering this question through the COACH trials. The aim of the trial is to determine which approach provides the greatest benefit for patients with severe hearing loss: hearing aids or cochlear implants.
Participants in this research will be patients whose hearing test results and speech understanding scores fall just outside the range for NHS cochlear implant eligibility4. Audiology patients accessing services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust will be offered the opportunity to take part. Nottingham is one of nine NHS Trusts in England and Wales participating in the trial, alongside:
- Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
- St George’s Hospital NHS Trust
- University College London NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
For more information about the COACH Trials and how to take part, visit: www.coachtrial.ac.uk
Although funded by Cochlear Ltd, a global manufacturer of implantable hearing devices, the trial is being conducted independently by NHS doctors, audiologists and researchers from the Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre and the University of Nottingham.
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