Andrew Bird Hearing has spent the past 18 years quietly building one of the South West's most established independent audiology practices, and demand for its services shows little sign of slowing.
The clinic opened its doors in 2007 and now runs from 17 satellite locations spread across Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, the Forest of Dean, Wiltshire, Bristol and Somerset.
Its three core services, ear wax removal, hearing tests and hearing aid fittings, have become steadily more sought after as many GP surgeries have stepped away from offering wax removal on the NHS.
Wax removal at the clinic is carried out using microsuction, a gentle vacuum-based method widely regarded as the safest option for the ear canal.
The practice is led by owner and audiologist Andrew Bird, working alongside audiologists Robert Bird, Elena Feeney and Liam Halliday, and ear wax removal specialist Kate Webb. Every audiologist on the team is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists.
Being independent is central to the business. The clinicians are not tied to any single manufacturer, which means they can pick from the latest hearing aids across all the major brands rather than pushing whatever a parent company happens to stock.
That independence also translates into price. Premium devices at Andrew Bird Hearing can cost up to £2,000 less than the same or comparable models sold by major high-street chains.
Every hearing aid fitting comes with a free comprehensive assessment, a 60-day money-back guarantee and five years of free aftercare, giving patients a long window to settle into their new devices without further cost.
The clinic also offers lifetime servicing and repair on the hearing aids it supplies, a commitment that has helped build a loyal following of returning patients across the region.
For those unable to travel, home visits are available. The team notes that travel time can make home appointments slower to schedule than a clinic visit, but the option is there for patients who are housebound or have mobility or medical difficulties.
The reviews left by clients tell the story better than any brochure. One patient described a wax removal appointment at the Cheltenham clinic as the service that "made my Christmas", while another from the Clevedon clinic wrote that their audiologist was "charming, gentle and thorough" and even flagged an issue to their GP after the appointment.
A family member of an elderly patient at the Cheltenham clinic wrote that her mother's life had been "transformed" by her new hearing aids, and that she was enjoying group conversations again for the first time in a long while.
In an industry increasingly dominated by national chains, the survival and steady growth of a local, independent audiology practice is a small but welcome story for the South West.
More information about clinics, appointments and the team is available on the Andrew Bird Hearing website, including details of the 17 regional locations.
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