Audiology

The Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Audiology Department is based at Bradford Royal Infirmary. We provide a wide range of hearing and balance services for adults and children.

This page is home to a variety of information that we hope will be of interest to patients, families and other professionals.

Our Adult Hearing Service is composed of the following aspects:

• Hearing assessment
• Treatment and advice about hearing problems including free digital hearing aids
• Open access repair service

Adult hearing services
The department offers a full range of audiology services to help patients with hearing difficulties.

How to access our services
Patients who suspect they may have a hearing problem should consult their family doctor. Patients aged over 18 can be referred directly to the department for hearing assessment and, if appropriate, aid provision from their GP. Those aged under 18 can access children’s hearing services via their GP or other healthcare professional.

What happens at the appointment?
In order to understand the difficulties and concerns you are having regarding your hearing, a detailed history will be taken. The audiologist will have a discussion with you and ask questions that will focus on how you cope in specific social situations. All questions will be relevant and used to help provide a holistic service.

A simple and personal outcome measure in the form of a questionnaire will be filled out. This will focus on particular situations that may highlight your hearing problems. It will be completed at the follow-up appointment once you have worn a hearing aid, and is one of the tools used to assess the benefit you have gained from wearing a hearing aid.

Hearing test
A hearing test will be used to establish your hearing thresholds. Before the hearing test, the audiologist will fully explain what is expected from you during the procedure. Both ears will be assessed individually and the test usually takes around 15-20 minutes.

Once the hearing test has been completed, various options will be discussed regarding ways to improve your communication/hearing needs. A care plan will be put together detailing the specific needs that you have and a plan of action to address them.

Options may include:

• Hearing aid/s
• Hearing tactics
• Assistant listening devices
• Referral for further assessment/medical advice

The department offers a repair service for all our adult hearing aid users which is now by appointment only. If you are experiencing difficulties or to order batteries, tubing etc please call 01274 364070 or email audiology.department@bthft.nhs.uk and an audiologist will advise or book an appointment.

The Open Access Repair Service offers a variety of different services and support including:

• Replacement batteries and tubing
• Modification of ear-moulds or provision of a new ear mould
• If you are concerned that your hearing aid is faulty or may not be working correctly we are able to check your hearing aid
• Re-instruction on hearing aid use and maintenance
• Additional hearing aid programs
• Replacement of faulty, damaged or lost hearing aids

It is not possible to have the volume or sound of the hearing aid altered or adjusted through the open access service, therefore if we are not able to rectify the issue an appointment will be arranged.

Although the Audiology Department is based at Bradford Royal Infirmary, we also operate an appointment-only adult hearing service at the following locations:

• Bradford Royal Infirmary, BD9 6RJ
• St Lukes Hospital, BD5 0NA
• Westwood Park Treatment Centre, BD6 3NL
• Eccleshill Treatment Centre, BD10 0JE
• Highfield Health Centre, BD4 9QA
• Windhill Green Medical Centre, BD18 1QB

The Tinnitus Service at Bradford Royal Infirmary provides information, counselling and advice about tinnitus and the strategies available that can be used to manage tinnitus to make it less intrusive.

What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a sound that is heard in either one or both ears or in the head, with no external cause.

What causes tinnitus?
There are many different causes of tinnitus. It can be linked to exposure to loud noise, hearing loss, injuries to the ear or head, some diseases of the ear, some illnesses or emotional stress. However, many people may experience tinnitus without ever having experienced any of these provoking factors, and may not have a hearing loss.

How to access the service
People are usually referred via an ENT consultant.

The Balance Assessment and Rehabilitation Service is located at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The service works closely with ear, nose and throat (ENT),  and neurology consultants to help manage patients with dizziness/balance problems. The clinic also performs a wide range of specialist vestibular (balance) assessment and rehabilitation.

How to access the service
People are usually referred via an ENT consultant.

What to expect at your appointment
The audiologist will first take a detailed history from you; recording your balance problems, general health and lifestyle.

The tests performed will depend on the problems you are having, requests made by the ENT or neurology consultant, and the audiologist’s judgement. The tests are designed to look at the way your brain combines information.

Children’s hearing services are located at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

How to access our service
Families that are concerned about their child’s hearing can access the service via their GP or any other health professional.

What can I expect at the appointment?
You will see one or two members of a team of audiologists and clinical scientists who are specially trained to test children’s hearing. The appointment is usually 30 minutes long. Sometimes we need to bring you back for a second appointment. We aim to see you on time but occasionally clinics can be delayed.

We will ask you some questions about your child’s hearing, medical history and any family history of hearing problems. Depending on your child’s age we will try and test their hearing by getting them to respond to sound in some way. This often includes some form of play. It is therefore important your child is awake. The hearing test needs to be carried out in a quiet room, so if possible it is best to try to attend with only the child being tested. It is not possible to leave children unsupervised in the waiting area, but they are welcome to wait there if they are accompanied by an adult.

We will also look in your child’s ears and we may do some other tests if required. The results of the test will then be discussed with you including treatment options if your child is found to have a hearing loss.

These may include:

• A watch and wait approach if there is a reasonable chance of self resolution, with a further hearing test appointment booked for a few months’ time.
• Your child is referred to the ENT department for treatment.
• Your child is offered hearing aids.