Why is Apple's Hearing Aid feature not available in the UK?

Do we know how to find out how far along this process is for UK. (Even if it has started?)

Who could we even ask (that would actually answer)?

Really looking forward to seeing this feature. The cost of Air Pod Pro 2 compared to Prescription hearing aids, it’s just a no brainier.

Apple wasn't able to release it in the U.S. until after it had gained U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval.

It is currently available in the U.S and Canada. I suspect that they are still waiting on approval from other countries.

See the following from Apple introduces groundbreaking health features - Apple (UK)

The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to receive marketing authorisation from global health authorities soon, and will be available this fall in more than 100 countries and regions, including the US, Germany, and Japan.3

footnote 3 - The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to be available fall 2024. The Hearing Aid feature is pending marketing authorisation from the FDA and other global health authorities. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features will be supported on AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and later, and is intended for people 18 years or older. The Hearing Aid feature is intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.

This is primarily a user-to-user support forum; other Apple users like you.

The UK has its own organisation for protecting consumers of medical products, called the MHRA. They just haven’t ratified this feature yet. In fact other notable European countries to miss out on Hearing Health are France, Spain and Belgium. This is presumably because their own respective national health authorities also haven’t ratified this product yet.

[Edited by Moderator]

The hearing protection feature is available in Canada but the hearing health feature (with the hearing aid and hearing testis) not yet available as of 28.x.2024. That second feature is currently available in the US and many other countries even in tiny countries ouch as Cape Verde islands.

Just to clarify, the hearing aid features are currently available in 104 countries AirPods Pro 2 - Hearing Health Feature Availability - Apple

Thanks -- the Apple article that currently states U.S. & Canada was about the Hearing Protection feature rather than the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features.

Thank you