Until the late 1940s, hearing aids had two problems. One, they were expensive. And two, they were inconveniently bulky.  So the NHS turned to BT to see if it could help.  After all, if a telephone could deliver a voice to the ear, couldn’t a hearing aid?

So by using similar technology found in the phone, BT was able to make improvements, not just to the size performance of hearing aids, but also to the cost.  And so from the day it launched, the NHS was able to offer effective hearing aids free to everyone who needed them.

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