You will find the medical information helpful to read so that you know what the specialist is referring to when you have your appointment. If you have been told that you can benefit from the use of a hearing aid but prefer to purchase a private one instead of waiting for an NHS Aid, Hearing Concern can provide you with some advice on buying a private aid and send you a list of private dispensers in your locality. Q. I am unable to hear people speaking to me on my telephone. You may need a telephone with extra amplification or one that has an inductive coupler in the handset. If you are a hearing aid user you can switch to the 'T' position on your hearing aid and hear speech through this 'telecoil' facility.
Some telephones also have a facility for amplifying both incoming and outgoing speech.
If you use different telephones it may be an idea for you to purchase a portable amplifier that straps onto the handset. If you have tried the above and are still not able to hear incoming speech you may have to use a 'textphone' or Typetalk to communicate with others. A textphone is like a telephone but it has a display screen where a typed conversation can be seen. Typetalk is the international relay service that can be used by deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired people. Through this scheme your employer may be able to get some of this equipment and other communication support at a subsidised rate or free of charge.