How do I access the service?
Adult Audiology services are available to anybody aged 16 years or over, clinics are held in Winchester, Basingstoke, Andover, Eastleigh, Alton, Borden and Wickham. If you have concerns about your hearing and have not previously had an NHS hearing aid then please see your GP who will check your ears and refer you to us.
A referral to ENT will be more appropriate if you have dizziness, fluctuating hearing or symptoms in one ear such as hearing loss, tinnitus, discomfort or pain.
If you have a severe hearing loss that happens suddenly you should attend A&E immediately (within 24 hours if possible).
Existing Hampshire Hospitals NHS hearing aid users may access our service through our hearing aid repair clinics.
Patients with NHS hearing aids who have recently moved into the area and need to be registered with us should also attend a repair clinic in the first instance. When attending for the first time please bring all your hearing aids and your hearing aid registration book.
Patients with mobility issues who are unable to attend repair clinics may contact us by telephone.
What happens when my referral is made?
All referrals are received by our clerical officer, checked and prioritised. An appointment is then sent to you by post to the address given in the referral from your GP. Sometimes appointments are available at short notice and we may telephone you to see if you can come to one.
Your GP should have checked your ears for wax before referring you, if not then about two weeks before your appointment with us please ask your GP or practice nurse to make sure your ears are completely clear of wax.
What will happen at my first appointment?
Your assessment will take between 45 minutes and an hour and will be carried out by a qualified audiologist. Before you come please think about the situations in which you have difficulty in hearing.
At the appointment we will:
- ask about problems you are having with your hearing and ears
- ask about the difficulties you have hearing in different situations; this helps us to measure how your hearing affects your daily life
- examine your ears
- test your hearing
After the tests we will explain the results and discuss how you would like to manage things including any further treatment. If hearing aids are not wanted or not suitable, no further appointments will be made.
We will discuss and explain the benefits you might gain from hearing aids if they might be suitable for you. You can then decide whether you want to go ahead with them. If you will need to have earmoulds we will take impressions of your ears, these are sent away for the moulds to be made. When you are ready to leave the hearing aid fitting appointment will be booked for you.
We will then send a report to your GP to summarise our findings and the outcome of the appointment.
What will happen at my Hearing Aid Fitting appointment?
The fitting appointment will take between 45 minutes to an hour. One or two digital hearing aid(s) will be fitted by an Audiologist who will use information from your hearing test results. A computer will be used to programme the aids to compensate for your individual hearing loss. The Audiologist will go through everything you need to know about your new hearing aid(s).
What will happen after the Hearing Aid fitting?
We will plan a follow-up appointment with you about 6 weeks later to check how you are getting on with your new hearing aids. This follow-up is normally done by telephone so we will check when would be a convenient time to call you.
What if I am having problems with my hearing aid(s)?
Please attend one of our hearing aid repair clinics in the first instance. Basingstoke patients should ring the Basingstoke department for assistance as walk in services are limited in this location. Patients with mobility issues who are unable to attend repair clinics may also contact us by telephone.
