Audiology

Our Audiology department are an experienced team dedicated to providing patient care to over 35,000 users within the area.

Our Audiology service comprises both adult and Paediatric (children) – including new-born hearing screening – services.

In addition to our audiologists, assistant technical officer’s and the admin team, the service manages the hearing screening programme (with dedicated hearing screeners). We also have a dedicated senior specialist nurse who specialises in paediatric audiology, working closely with community paediatricians.

Our adult audiology service receives approximately 1,500 new referrals each year, and our paediatric service receives over 1,200 referrals per year.

Our audiologists are experienced in diagnostic audiology. Our clinical leads are experienced in electrophysiological testing such as Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) on babies, children and adults. The service works closely with Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) consultants, supporting their outpatient clinics.

High specification digital hearing aids suitable for the patient’s individual needs are offered to all appropriate patients. Our main hearing aid provider is PHONAK.

Several members of our team are skilled in Tinnitus management and counselling for both adults and children.

Accordion

Patient Referral Criteria

If you are over 55 years of age you can be referred by your General Practitioner (GP) to be seen by the audiology team. Please discuss this with your GP.

If you are under 55 years of age please discuss with your GP who can advise – the normal referral route is then via the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Department.

Children under 18 years are seen by our specialist paediatric teams.

Local Services

Our two main sites are at Conquest Hospital in Hastings and Park Practice Primary Care Centre in Eastbourne (this services also see patients for diagnosis and testing at Outpatients area B at Eastbourne DGH). We also provide services at Bexhill Hospital.

Waiting Times

Please be aware that our current waiting times for many appointments exceed 20 weeks, and so we encourage you to keep any appointments that have been made for you. We currently have no walk-in services at any of our sites, so please do not attend without an appointment.

Links to Support Services

Additional support services are available to help patients make the most of their hearing aids.

Adult Audiology and hearing aid services

For information about the Adult Audiology service – click here

Children's Audiology services