Audiology (hearing) for adults

Audiology Services during COVID-19:

Please read our Audiology Newsletter for information of how we are running our service at the moment and how to contact us.

What we do

Our Audiology teams are here to help people with hearing difficulties and Tinnitus. The team consists of Audiologists, Assistant Audiologists and Administrators, and we liaise closely with Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) consultants and other professionals.

The Audiology Department is a recognised training centre for Aston University in Birmingham and usually has a placement for students who want to gain valuable clinical experience to qualify as an Audiologist.

We are delighted to have been recognised for the commitment we have to each of our patients.

We have the ‘Inspired by IDA’ benchmark and our department was the first nationally to be accredited as IDA approved, labelled for high-quality, personalised hearing care.

The label is issued to hearing specialists who have completed courses in person-centred counselling from the IDA Institute in Denmark. Clinics can obtain the label if 80% of the staff have completed the courses. The label allows you to identify hearing specialists who are committed to providing you with personalised care and advice on how to manage hearing loss in daily life.

What is Person-Centred Care?
Person-centred care is a way of seeing people and their families as experts in their own experience of hearing loss, working alongside the health care provider to determine which solutions and strategies will help those most.

What to expect

A person-centred hearing care professional will:

• Talk to you about your individual needs and preferences.
• Invite your spouse or other close relatives to join sessions.
• Work with you to establish a treatment plan based on your personal lifestyle.
• Provide you with advice on managing hearing difficulties in daily life.

View information on Tinnitus click here and Hyperacusis (Sound Sensitivity) click here.

Referral

Audiology is a major support service to ENT but also operates independently accepting GP referrals for many of its services.

• For new patients over the age of 55 who are seeking support with their hearing problems and have no active ear disease, please ask your GP to refer you directly to the Audiology Department.

If you are a patient with additional ear problems who is seeking support with their hearing problems (and have not previously seen an Ear Nose & Throat doctor before) or you are under the age of 55, please ask your GP to refer you to ENT. Some examples of ear problems are:

• Sudden hearing loss – within 72 hours (this is counted as a medical emergency so please seek support from either your GP or A+E as soon as possible)
• Rapid onset of hearing loss (90 days or less)
• Fluctuating hearing loss which is not associated with having a cold
• Asymmetrical hearing loss (where one ear seems worse than the other)
• Regular ear infections/discharge from your ears (which is not wax) or regular pain
• A perforated eardrum or other issues with your outer ear can be seen when your doctor examines your ear
• Tinnitus where you have it only in one ear, it beats in time with your pulse, it is affecting your quality of life and sleep disturbance
• Sound sensitivity (Hyperacusis)
• Vertigo (Dizziness)

For patients who

require a hearing test only (even if you are under the age of 55) your GP is

able to refer you directly to Audiology if you are over the age of 18 years,

but if you require a hearing aid other than another

intervention then your GP will need to refer you through ENT to access this service.

We also run a Specialist Hearing Clinic for adults with complex hearing losses or co-existing conditions and your GP can refer you to be seen on this clinic. Please click here for more information.

For all referrals, your ears should be completely clear of wax prior to attending your appointment, in order to complete all of the testing and procedures required. Please see your GP for advice on wax removal.