Your hearing reassessment

Introduction

You, your GP or your ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist has requested a reassessment of your hearing and hearing aid by the Audiology department.

What will happen at my appointment?

At your appointment, we ask you some questions about your ears, general health and any situations in which you are having difficulty hearing. We will look into your ears and check that they are healthy and free of wax. We will carry out a new hearing test first.

We will explain the hearing test results to you and then use the results to create a computer prescription to program your hearing aids accordingly with a fine-tuning test. This method used is called Real Ear Measurement and it involves placing a fine, soft and flexible tube into the outside of your ear canal. You will hear medium, soft and loud sounds which enables us to see how the hearing aid performs in your ear and to ensure a good match to your hearing test. Further simple checks will be carried out to ensure that the sound is comfortable for you and to ensure the hearing aid fit comfortably.

We will show you how to use and maintain the hearing aids and you will receive a new hearing aid guidance book (written instructions).

After the appointment we will book you a follow-up appointment within 6 – 8 weeks (either face-to-face or on the telephone) to see how you are getting on with the hearing aids.

How long will my appointment take?

Approximately between 45 minutes to 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?

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.

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.

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: