Hearing Aid & Audiology Service (Adults)

We offer hearing assessment and rehabilitation of hearing loss including fitting and programming of hearing aids, advice on their use and management, reassessment and repairs/replacements, and provision of batteries. We can also refer to our Hearing Therapist for those patients with more complex hearing needs. For patients with severe/profound hearing loss we are able to refer for Cochlear Implant assessment.

If you are over 18 years old and have noticed hearing difficulties please ask your GP to refer you directly to our service.

Contacting us

• Telephone: 01895 279343
• Email: thh.adulthearing@nhs.net
• Clinic hours: Monday - Friday, 9am-12.30pm and 1.30-5pm (excluding Bank Holidays)

The Adult Audiology Team are led by Daniela Susanu, Audiology Manager. We are a training department for Audiology PTP degree students from Middlesex University/UCL. There may be a student present during your appointment. Please let us know if you do not wish to be seen by a trainee.

Hillingdon Hospital Adult Hearing Aid Centre

Use the main entrance and take the stairs/lift to the lower ground floor. Take the main corridor to your left, following signs for ‘Hearing Aid/Therapy Centre’. You will find us in a portacabin on your right, just past the turning to the Alderbourne Unit.

Adult Hearing Aid Centre, Hillingdon Hospital

Getting to the Hearing Aid and Hearing Therapy Centre

Use the AccessAble access guides to help plan your journey and easily find you way around the hospital.

Mount Vernon Hospital Adult Hearing Aid Centre

We are situated in the Treatment Centre at Mount Vernon Hospital.

Adult Hearing Aid Department
Treatment Centre
Mount Vernon Hospital
Rickmansworth Road
Northwood
HA6 2RN

Hearing aid repairs

We offer an appointment-only hearing aid repair service. Please contact us to arrange an appointment. Bring your hearing aids and earmoulds, and let us know if you will require an interpreter for your appointment. If you are unable to attend in person, you can have a friend or relative bring your hearing aid in for you, but please remember that you still need to contact us to arrange an appointment slot. We also offer a postal repair service; please contact us for details.

Lost hearing aids

Your hearing aids remain property of the NHS and are on long-term loan to you. Please take good care of them. If your hearing aid is lost or damaged, please contact us to arrange for repair/replacement. If your hearing aids are repeatedly lost or damaged, we may need to charge £50 per hearing aid. The Audiology department will make a decision based on the circumstances and your hearing loss.

Replacement Batteries

Hearing aid batteries are available (free of charge) on production of your hearing aid service book from:

• Hearing Aid Centre, Hillingdon Hospital
• Pharmacy, Lower Ground Floor, Hillingdon Hospital
• Reception Desk at the Mount Vernon Hospital Treatment Centre
• Charville Library, Bury Avenue, Hayes
• Main Reception Desk, Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge
• Eastcote Health Centre, Abbotsbury Gardens, Pinner
• Harefield Health Centre, Rickmansworth Road, Harefield
• Harlington Library, Pinkwell Lane, Hayes
• Ickenham Libary Community Close, Long Lane, Ickenham
• Manor Farm Library, Bury Street, Hayes
• Northwood Health Centre, Neal Close, Acre Way, Northwood Hills
• Northwood Hills Library, Potter Street, Northwood
• Oak Farm Library, Long Lane, Hillingdon
• One Stop Shop, Botwell Green Leisure Centre, East Avenue, Hayes
• South Ruislip Library, Victoria Road, Ruislip
• The Mobile Library
• Uxbridge Library, High Street, Uxbridge
• West Drayton Library, Station Road, West Drayton
• Yeading Library, Yeading Lane, Hayes
• Yiewsley Library, High Street, Yiewsley

We also offer a postal battery replacement service. Please send your brown service book enclosing the old batteries with a stamped, self-addressed envelope for return to:

The Hearing Aid Centre
Hillingdon Hospital
Uxbridge
UB8 3NN

Our hearing aids

We fit digital Oticon hearing aids in our department. We are currently fitting Sense/Sense Power and Dynamo hearing aids, which are all the ‘behind-the-ear’ style. Your audiologist will help you to choose the most appropriate hearing aid for your level of hearing, taking into account other factors such as dexterity and visual ability.

We are also able to fit Phonak Bolero CROS/BiCROS hearing aids for patients with single-sided deafness.

Oticon Synergy Sense with thin tube fitting

Oticon Dynamo (for severe/profound hearing losses)

www.c2hearonline.com - interactive videos on hearing aids and how to hear well.

What to expect at your appointment

Assessment (referral from GP): 45 minutes

Your audiologist will discuss any problems that you have been having with your hearing, before looking in your ears and performing a hearing test. The audiologist will work with you to agree an individual management plan, explaining the different options that are available to you.

• THH_Hearing_Assessment_referral_from_GP.pdf [pdf] 469KB
• MVH_Hearing_Assessment_referral_from_GP.pdf [pdf] 447KB

Assessment (referral from Ear, Nose and Throat doctor): 30 minutes

Your audiologist will discuss any problems that you have been having with your hearing, and look into your ears. It is likely that you will have already had a hearing test done in the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) clinic. We will work with you to agree an individual management plan, explaining the different options that are available to you.

• THH_Hearing_Assessment_referral_from_ENT.pdf [pdf] 469KB
• MVH_Hearing_Assessment_referral_from_ENT.pdf [pdf] 540KB

Hearing Aid Fitting: 45 minutes

Your audiologist will check the fit of your hearing aids, and check that your ears are clear of wax. Your hearing aids will be set to a prescription that is based on the results of your hearing test. We will run some measurements on the hearing aids (‘real ear measurements’) which help us to check that the hearing aids are performing well in your ears. Once you are happy with the sound of your hearing aids, we will show you how to operate and insert/remove them. Your audiologist will advise you about how best to get used to the sound of your new aids.

Hearing Aid Follow-up: 15 minutes

This appointment will be a few weeks after your hearing aid fitting, and can be carried out either in person or over the telephone. It is important that you have tried to wear your hearing aids as much as you can before this appointment. We will ask you questions about how you have been getting on with your hearing aids and you will be able to ask us questions too. We are able to fine-tune the hearing aids if necessary to help you to get the best out of them. If you are struggling with your hearing aids, please feel free to contact us sooner than your arranged follow-up.

Reassessment: 45 minutes

It is a good idea to have a hearing test every 3-4 years – this allows us to check whether there have been any changes to your ears/hearing and ensure that you have the most appropriate and up-to-date hearing aids for your hearing loss. Please contact us if you would like to book a reassessment. It is not usually necessary to get a new referral from your GP if you have had hearing aids from us in the past.

Hearing Aid Repair Clinic: 15 minutes

It is important to have earmoulds retubed/thin tubes changed every 4-6 months to keep your hearing aid working optimally. At your hearing aid fitting appointment you should have received a booklet called Information about your hearing aid’. This booklet includes some troubleshooting advice for common issues, however if you are still having problems with your hearing aid please contact us to make a repair appointment.

Useful resources

Action on Hearing Loss – hearing loss charity: www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk
- Telephone: 0808 808 0123 (Freephone)
- Textphone: 0808 808 9000 (Freephone)
- Email: informationline@hearingloss.org.uk

Age UK Hillingdon – local support for older people
- Central Office, 2 Chapel Court, Hayes, UB3 2LW
- Telephone: 020 8756 3040 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 4pm)
- Email: enquiries@ageukhillingdon.org.uk

British Tinnitus Association - information and support for people with tinnitus: www.tinnitus.org.uk
- Telephone: 0800 018 0527
- Email: helpline@tinnitus.org.uk

Connevans – equipment for people with hearing loss: www.connevans.co.uk
- Telephone: 01737 247 571
- Email: askaquestion@connevans.com

Disabled Freedom Pass – 24-hour free access on London buses, tubes, trains and trams. You may be eligible if you have a severe/profound hearing loss in both ears. Please ask your audiologist for more details or contact Social Services at the Civic Centre on 01895 556 663.

Disabled Persons Railcard - https://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk
- National Railcards, PO Box 10776, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, LE65 9FA
- Telephone: 0345 605 0525
- Email: railcardhelp@nationalrail.co.uk

Hearing Link – support for sudden deafness/hearing loss: www.hearinglink.org.uk
- Telephone: 0300 111 1113
- Email: helpdesk@hearinglink.org.uk

Hillingdon Fire Service – can supply and fit smoke alarms, with under-pillow vibrating pad and flashing light if required
- Telephone: 0800 028 4428
- Visits can also be arranged online: www.london-fire.gov.uk/HomeFireSafetyVisit.asp

Hillingdon Sensory Team - equipment to help with hearing in the home
- 2N/08, Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1UW
- Telephone: 01895 556 633 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm)
- Email: socialcaredirect@hillingdon.gov.uk

National Cochlear Implant Users Association – information and support: www.nciua.org.uk