Information for suppliers and potential suppliers.
What You Need To Know About AIHHP
About the Association of Independent Hearing Healthcare Professionals
- AIHHP is a group of leading hearing aid audiologists who are committed to promoting and maintaining the very highest professional and ethical standards in hearing healthcare within the private sector.
- Members adhere to a strict set of standards and equipment levels, and commit to ongoing training.
- They are recognised by the Government and are amongst those consulted when national policy changes in hearing healthcare provision are considered.
About Private Hearing Healthcare
- Private hearing healthcare practices provide hearing assessments and the fitting of hearing aids direct to members of the public, as an alternative route to NHS provision.
- They have access to a greater range of hearing technology from a greater range of suppliers.
- Their products and services are normally paid for by the consumer.
- Some practices also provide other hearing-related services such as noise protection, assistive listening devices and tinnitus management.
- Some practices also provide home visits to their clients.
About the Membership
AIHHP consists of two main types of members: Full and Associate. AIHHP also recognise special cases and have awarded 5 Honorary Memberships.
Full Members
- There are currently 29 Full Members. They represent everything from individually owned & managed practices to multi-site businesses with several dispensing hearing aid audiologists, from established to innovative, young and new. But most importantly as far as a potential supplier is concerned, they are the key decision makers in their business.
- Full membership is by application. There are strict obligations that are placed on Full Members to ensure the highest standards of professionalism and ethics in hearing healthcare in the UK.
- Full members are constantly looking to set themselves apart from other hearing healthcare organisations.
What this means to you...
As a supplier, you will dealing with the key decision makers in strong, independent businesses that are looking for opportunties to set themselves apart.
Associate Members
- Associate Members are either employed by a Full Member, or are seeking to become Full Members, or generally share the ideals of AIHHP but may not be able to take on the obligations that full membership brings.
- There are currently 86 Associate Members.
- They frequently attend AIHHP's education days and therefore interact directly with exhibitors.
- Because associate membership is voluntary (apart from those employed by Full Members), they take an active interest in AIHHP's Education Meetings.
What this means to you
The addition of Associate Members further increases the market for your product or service. Many Associates also play an active role in the hearing healthcare sector.
About the Opportunities for your Product or Service
- In 2006 AIHHP members collectively spent over £4million on hearing aids alone.
- Members look to each other for support, advice and recommendations. If your product or service is accepted by one Member, there is a high likelihood it will be accepted by others.
- AIHHP holds two Education Days a year which incorporate Exhibitions. This provides suppliers the opportunity to showcase (or launch) their products and services, as well as interact directly with our Members (i.e. potential customers).
- AIHHP also allows suppliers to book presentation time on one of their Education Day's programme to present their product or service to an attentive audience.
Next: Why Should You be Talking to AIHHP?