The British Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association data for Q1 2026 shows increases in ROI sales and UK private sales compared to Q4 2025, with a notable rise in rechargeable devices.
The British Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA) has released its hearing instrument sales data for the first quarter of 2026, indicating growth across the private UK market and the Republic of Ireland (ROI).
In the UK, private sales reached 145,575 units, a 12.5% increase over the 129,371 units sold in Q4 2025. Public sales through the National Health Service (NHS) totaled 457,247 units. While this figure is lower than the 503,462 units from Q4 2025, it represents an increase over sales from the second and third quarters of that year.
The market in the ROI saw significant growth, with 33,920 units sold. This marks a 33% increase compared to Q4 2025 and a 26% increase compared to Q1 2025.
NHS Sees Increased Adoption of Rechargeable Devices
Rechargeable hearing instruments continue to be the standard in the UK private sector, with 135,847 units sold, accounting for 93% of all private sales in Q1 2026. This reflects a consistent growth trend of approximately 1.5 percentage points each quarter.
Within the NHS, the adoption of rechargeable technology saw a notable increase. Sales of rechargeable units reached 26,287, representing 5.8% of all public sector sales. This is up from the 3.6% rate that had remained stable over the previous year. In the ROI, rechargeable devices accounted for 67% of sales.
“The data shows a strong start to 2026 and the breadth of growth we’ve seen in these latest figures is encouraging. In particular, the shift to a greater number of rechargeable hearing instruments in the NHS is a meaningful development towards improved sustainability,” says Paul Surridge, chairman of BIHIMA, in a release.
You can download the full report here.
