I have not been seen in Audiology before and would like to have
my hearing tested. How can I access the service?
If you are aged 16 or above, you can ask your GP for a referral
to Audiology. We will aim to see you within 4 weeks of receipt
of your referral.
If you think your hearing has changed suddenly (within
24 hours) please consult your GP as soon as possible or go to
A&E.
I have NHS hearing aids and would like a hearing
reassessment
Contact the Audiology department to book a repair appointment
and the clinician will first assess whether the hearing issues are
related to any issues with the hearing aid. If hearing is suspected
to have changed, the clinician will add you to the reassessment
waiting list.
Do I need to do anything before the assessment
appointment?
Please ask your GP to check your ears before your appointment.
We will not be able to carry out a hearing test if either of your
ear canals are blocked with wax or if you have an active ear
infection.
If required, your GP should arrange hospital transport for your
first visit to Audiology. Please contact us if you require the
assistance of a translator.
Please feel free to bring a friend or family member with you to
your appointment.
Where will my appointment be?
Your appointment letter will tell you where your appointment
will be. Please click
here for information about all of our clinics. If
you are in any doubt about how to find the department or where your
appointment is, please contact us on 0117 342 5854 or email us at
Audiology.dept@uhbw.nhs.uk
What should I do when I arrive?
Please check in at the front desk.
What will happen at my hearing assessment appointment?
Your Audiologist will:
- Discuss your hearing and medical history with you.
- Examine your ears. If there is excessive wax or
any abnormalities (e.g. an infection) you may be asked to
go back to your GP.
- Perform a hearing test. You will be presented with various
tones at different levels via headphones. You will be asked to
respond to any sounds you hear by pressing a button.
- Perform further tests. Your Audiologist may choose to perform
extra tests as necessary. They will advise you on what these tests
entail.
What happens next?
Your Audiologist will discuss your results with you. Your
outcome will be one or more of the following:
- Your hearing is within the normal range.
- You require a referral to see an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)
specialist. We will write to your GP who will arrange this for
you.
- You may benefit from hearing aids.
- You may benefit from Hearing and/or Tinnitus Therapy. You may
need to see an ENT specialist first before we can arrange an
appointment with a Hearing Therapist.
- You may benefit from assistive devices (e.g. devices to help
with the TV and/or telephone) or lip reading classes. We will issue
you with the appropriate information.
If you are suitable for hearing aids and are happy to proceed
with this, your Audiologist will discuss the devices available to
you. They may also take an impression of your ear. This involves a
small cotton tamp being inserted in to the ear canal and the
canal being gently filled with a silicone based impression
material. The material is removed from your ear after a few
minutes, when it has hardened. Your Audiologist will arrange a
further appointment to fit your hearing aids.
When will my hearing aids be fitted?
You will either be able to book your fitting appointment at the
reception following your hearing assessment/reassessment or you
will receive a letter inviting you to ring and book the
appointment. Different sites have different waiting lists. Ask your
clinician about which sites have the shortest waiting lists if you
would like to have your hearing aids fitted sooner.
Do I need to do anything before my fitting appointment?
Please ask your GP to check your ears for wax or book a repair
appointment for this if you feel that your ears are blocked with
wax. We may not be able to carry out all of our measurements if
there is an excess of wax. Additionally, we will not be able to fit
your hearing aids if there is an active ear infection.
You will be given a lot of information in the hearing aid
fitting appointment. Please feel free to bring a friend or family
member with you. Please let us know if you require the
assistance of a translator.
Where will my fitting appointment be?
When you book your appointment you will be given options as to
where you would like to be seen. You can attend St Michael's
Hospital, Southmead Hospital, Weston General Hospital or a number
of outreach centres which may be closer to your home. Please click here for
information about all of our clinics. If you are in any doubt about
how to find the department or where your appointment is, please
contact us at on 0117 342 5854 or email us at Audiology.dept@uhbw.nhs.uk
What should I do when I arrive at my fitting appointment?
Please check in at the front desk.
What will happen at my fitting appointment?
Your Audiologist will:
- Examine your ears. If there is excessive wax or any
abnormalities (e.g. an infection) you may be asked to go back to
your GP.
- Fit your hearing aids.
- Verify the hearing aid fitting. Your Audiologist will place a
small tube in your ear. This will act as a microphone and will
measure the output of your hearing aid in your ear. Your
Audiologist may run a series of measurements and adjust your
hearing aids so that they closely match a target generated using
your hearing test. You will be asked to keep your head as still as
you can but you do not need to respond to any of the sounds.
- Show you how to use your hearing aids, how to insert and remove
them and how to clean them. Your Audiologist will also give you
information on batteries and repairs.
- Give you a year's supply of batteries and a set of information
booklets to take away with you.
What happens after being fitted with hearing aids?
Normally we will post out a follow-up questionnaire which we ask
you to return in 8 weeks time, and if you are having any
difficulties we can then arrange a follow-up appointment. We advise
patients to at least contact the Audiology department every year to
either request for batteries and hearing aid tubes to be posted out
(so patients can change the tubes themselves) or to arrange a 15
minutes repair appointment with the Audiology department so we can
change the tubes.
If you are having any difficulties with your hearing aids or
they stop working at any point, you can arrange a repair
appointment by contacting us on 0117 342 5854 or email us at
Audiology.dept@uhbw.nhs.uk
What is my repair appointment for?
Your repair appointment is only 10 - 15 minutes long. This
appointment is not to adjust or tweak your hearing aids. If you
think you need adjustments made to your hearing aids, you will need
a longer follow-up appointment in the hearing aid clinic. Please
contact us to arrange this.
The repair clinic is for:
- Replacing or mending broken/faulty hearing aids
- Re-tubing earmoulds
- Taking impressions for new earmoulds
- Fitting new earmoulds or for advice and assistance with fitting
earmoulds
Your clinician can also check your ears for wax and offer advice
on whether you need to see your GP/nurse practitioner for wax
removal.
If you are not sure what appointment you need, please contact
us.
How do I access information about infection control in
University Hospitals Bristol?
If you would like to know more about infection control in our
hospitals, including advice on when to stay at home when you are
ill and hand washing when visiting hospitals please follow this
link to the infection control team website /patients-and-visitors/infection-prevention-and-control/
Please note emails sent to Audiology.dept@uhbw.nhs.uk
are insecure.
