Patients

Welcome to the patients' area. Learn more about cochlear implants in this dedicated area for Patients.

Professionals

Are you a Professional? Please explore this area for helpful resources and information for your profession.

Welcome to the British Cochlear Implant Group

BCIG is a unique group of health care professionals and other interested parties in cochlear implant provision in the UK. The BCIG believes that if a patient meets the criteria for a cochlear implant as specified in the NICE Guidance, funding for that treatment must be provided by the appropriate healthcare commissioning body following a positive assessment by the specialist cochlear implant centre.

Explore About Us

BCIG Free Monthly Webinars for Cochlear implant Professionals

The schedule for these popular lunchtime sessions has been released - please see Events for full details.

There are two webinars for your diary in November:

Wednesday 11th November at 12.30

Should D/deaf adults in the UK be offered one or two cochlear implants?
The BCIG Webinar Series will be presenting the results of a large scale project carried out at University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service to help answer the question of whether D/deaf adults in the UK should be offered one or two CI.

This event will be presented by Isabel McGauley, supported by Nicci Campbell.
Book online here

Wednesday 25th November at 13.00

How we can support parents in making informed choices about their child's healthcare through Health Coaching
Lani Swart will share her experience of implementing Health Coaching as part of her work supporting children and their families. Lani works at University College London Hospital Trust.

Book online here

These webinars consist of a presentation by experts for approximately 30 minutes. There then follows time for Q&As. Each webinar will be recorded and available for BCIG Members to view in the Members' Area of the website.

The NRHI is now LIVE for all CI Centres in England!!

9th June: Newsflash- the NRHI is now LIVE for all CI Centres in England!!

A huge thank you to all teams for entering your data, to improve safety and effectiveness for the patients in our care.

Members are reminded that additional resources are available in the Members' Area.

The BCIG Autumn 2026 Newsletter is now available in the Members' Area!

24806

people in the UK use cochlear implants

1537

New UK cochlear implant recipients 2024/2025

Cochlear implants improve quality of life

What are cochlear implants?

A cochlear implant is an electronic device which may be suitable for children and adults who receive little benefit from conventional hearing aids. Conventional hearing aids work by making sounds louder.

A cochlear implant is different because sounds are turned into tiny electrical pulses, which are sent directly to the nerve of hearing. The implant can therefore bypass some of the inner ear structures which are not working. Naturally it is important to remember that no electronic device can be expected to restore function to the levels experienced by a normally hearing ear.

Learn More About Cochlear Implants