Local musician, Janet Dietz, explains here how she developed an ear condition in her early 20s that caused her to lose confidence in her ability to perform. But through the efforts, encouragement and expertise of Will Parfitt, one of our hearing aid audiologists here, she has been able do things she thought she'd never again have the chance or confidence to do.

She nominated Will for the 2009 Audiologist of the Year, and he was recognised for his efforts by the independent panel of judges as "highly commended".

Using the telephone with hearing aids is a topic that comes up often during appointments. So we’ve put together our top solutions to make phone conversation clearer and to avoid any whistling.

LACE is an interactive home-study computer or DVD course that enables you to increase your listening skills by up to 45%.

Whether you wear hearing aids, are just acquiring aids, or simply wish to improve your listening skills, LACE training will help you get the most out of the sounds of life.

Many hearing aid users in the UK are missing out on the full benefits of their current hearing technology because it hasn’t been properly optimised for their individual hearing and lifestyle.

That's why we've developed H.A.L.O.™ (Hearing And Listening Optimisation) – to ensure you get the very best out of your hearing aids.

This gentleman has very kindly agreed to explain his observations on his recently upgraded Phonak hearing aids. He plays the clarinet so that was an important factor in the choose of technology. We needed to ensure that the sound reproduction for music was natural and without distortion.

FlexiChoice® Pay As You Go enables you to reduce your initial outlay by not bundling in any prepaid support. That way you know that you're only paying for what you need. You simply pay for appointments as and when you need them.

It also enables you to make use of Broom Reid & Harris's outstanding ongoing support, even if you have purchased hearing aids elsewhere. It's ideal if you have moved into the area or you're not satisfied with the results or support you're getting from your existing hearing care provider.

Monthly plans make today's hearing technology more affordable than ever, whilst making it easier to keep up to date with new technology as it comes along. Monthly plans include your hearing aids, all your appointments and even the batteries, and are fixed for a set period of time, after which you have the option to cancel or renew your plan.

Hearing aids have traditionally always been provided with ongoing support and aftercare bundled into the price of the hearing aids themselves. With traditional pricing you know that if you can afford the hearing aids in the first place, you won't have to pay for appointments later on when something stops working as expected.

Hearing is one of your most important senses, and as such it's very personal to you. It not only affects you but everyone that comes into contact with you. So it's absolutely crucial you get the best out of it.

Going private for your hearing care provides you with a great many benefits that helps you take your hearing further. It includes choice of technology, choice of style and choice of support.

'I have noticed much more difficulty with hearing high frequency pitches and consonants, as the years have gone by, due to an asymmetrical hearing loss; resulting in a particular problem hearing conversations in busy or noisy environments.

The team at Broom Reid & Harris have been very helpful. They identified a new type of hearing aid which is ideal for people in my position. It sits in the ear, but does not go into the ear canal, and it magnifies the sounds I can’t hear to the right level without blocking out those that I can.

I am involved in a lot of local organisations and my new aid means that I can hear conversations without straining – it has made a big difference.

A lot of people put up with bad hearing because they think it is something that just happens, especially as you get older. My advice would be to have a hearing test and, if you need a hearing aid, to be prepared to wear it – it makes all the difference to your quality of life.

Valerie Bacon