Adult NHS Hearing aid service
The NHS provides hearing aid(s) on loan for patients with a hearing impairment. Batteries are provided free of charge. The hearing aid(s) are yours for as long as you require them, but they do remain the property of the NHS. The hearing aid will be repaired or replaced if stops working. You may be charged a £65 fee for a replacement hearing aid if it is lost or accidently damaged. If you lose the hearing aid please contact your nearest department.
How to make an appointment
If you’re having difficulty with your hearing you should first book an appointment to see your GP. This appointment will be to have your ears checked for things such as wax and determine if the difficulties you are experiencing are the result of a hearing loss, which may benefit from some assistance. If a hearing loss is suspected your GP will refer you to the audiology department where you will begin your pathway to having a hearing test completed and further treatment such as hearing aids, if wanted.
We are unable to book patients for hearing tests without a GP referral.
We are unable to book patients for hearing tests without a GP referral.
Timeline of appointments
For your first appointment you will be seen by an audiologist who will go through some medical history, current hearing difficulties and perform a hearing test.
If needed and you would like hearing aids, then your next appointment will be to fit you with behind-the-ear digital hearing aids. The Audiologist will set up the sound of the hearing aid to match your hearing loss and discuss what settings you would like the aid to have. You will be shown how the hearing aid works and advised on the best way to use the aid.
A Follow Up appointment will be agreed with you to check how you are getting on with the hearing aid.
After your Follow Up appointment it will be left to you to contact Audiology when required. We recommend that hearing aids are serviced every 4-6 months.
We are a teaching department so from time to time we have student audiologists sit in or do parts of our appointments. If you do not wish to have a trainee present please make your Audiologist aware.