Tinnitus direct access clinic
Introduction
Your GP has referred you to the Audiology Department for a tinnitus assessment.
What will happen at my appointment?
We will ask you some questions about your tinnitus, ears and general health. We will talk through difficulties you are having with your tinnitus. It would be helpful if you can give this some thought before you attend.
We will examine your ears to see if they are healthy and then complete a hearing test. Occasionally we may also do a pressure test to check how well your eardrums are moving and if you have any fluid behind your eardrum. All procedures will only be carried out with your consent.
We will explain the hearing test results to you. We will advise you on what tinnitus is and why we think you may have it. Tinnitus is rarely an indication of a serious condition and mostly experienced as a symptom of something else. The causes of tinnitus are still not fully understood, but tinnitus can be associated with various causes including hearing loss, exposure to loud noise, ear infection, stress, anxiety and depression.
We will advise you on how to cope with your tinnitus through evidence based self-management techniques. These can be very helpful in management of tinnitus. We will give you information leaflets about everything we will discuss so you can go through it again at home.
Depending on the outcome of your hearing assessment, we may refer you on to the Ear, Nose and Throat Department (with your consent) for further investigations. We will write back to your GP with the outcome of the appointment.
How long will my appointment take?
Approximately one hour. We aim to see you on time but occasionally clinics can be unavoidably delayed. We will keep you informed of any delay to your appointment.
How do I prepare for my appointment?
If you would prefer not to have a hearing reassessment, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can offer this valuable appointment to someone else.
Before the appointment, please ensure your ears are free of wax. Wax can block ears and affect the results of your hearing test. If your ears are blocked with wax, please see you practice nurse or GP for wax removal prior to your appointment.
If you wear glasses, please bring them along with you.
If you are eligible for hospital transport, please contact us to arrange it for you.
If you need an interpreter, do contact us for this to be arranged. We cannot guarantee availability of interpreters for all languages, so please arrange this well in advance.
You are welcome to bring a relative, close friend or carer with you to your appointment.
Can I cancel my appointment?
If you need to cancel your appointment, please call us as soon as possible. If you cancel your appointment more than two times, you will be discharged back to your GP and will need to be referred to our service again.
If you fail to attend this appointment, you will be discharged back to your GP’s care and will need a new referral in line with the Trust Policy.
Notes about your appointment
We are a teaching hospital so, on occasion, there may also be a student present in the appointment or a student supervised by an audiologist may see you. If you are not comfortable with this, please let us know when you check in for your appointment at the audiology reception desk.
We always try to see our patients at the time of their allocated appointment. Please ensure you arrive on time for your appointment.
Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS)
We value your opinion. If you have concerns or wish to give feedback about services, your care or treatment, we invite you to contact the PALS office: