Adult Audiology (Hearing and Vestibular)

• We hear best 3-6 feet away, so don’t stand too far away from the person you are talking with.
• Face the person you are talking to and keep the light on their face.
• Make sure that you can see the face/lips of the person and watch for expressions and gestures.
• Ask the person to get your attention first.
• Encourage people when starting a conversation to start with the subject at the beginning.
• Don’t be afraid to ask the person you are talking to to repeat themselves or to rephrase. You may find asking questions about the little bit that you heard a better way of enabling the person you are talking to, to rephrase without becoming repetitive
• Ask the person you are talking with to slow down and speak clearly.
• Explain that you have a hearing loss and then tell people how they can help you.
• Be Assertive.
• Try to keep calm and don’t panic.

• Attract the listener’s attention.
• Ensure the listener knows the topic.
• Do not shout.
• Do not over exaggerate lip movement.
• Speak clearly but not too slowly.
• Keep your hand away from your face.
• Keep the light on your face.
• Try to keep items such as cups away from your mouth as these may prevent lip reading.
• Rephrase and don’t just repeat a single word.
• Remember the listener is watching you closely because they are lip-reading.
• Move closer to the listener.

• Reduce background noise where possible.
• Choose quiet surroundings wherever possible.
• Always speak to other people from the same room.
• Rooms with soft furnishings reduce echo.
• Sit where the light falls on the speakers face.
• Consider whether another part of the room would be quieter.
• Turn down the volume of your hearing aid in noisy places.
• Sit so that you reduce any distraction from behind.
• Using mats and tablecloths helps reduce echoes and harsh sounds.

The audiologist will introduce themselves, check your details and explain the appointment to you, ensuring you’re happy to proceed.

• They will examine your ears
• You will be asked about your hearing, tinnitus and other related symptoms
• The Audiologists will then perform a diagnostic test to assess your hearing
• They will discuss the results and possible treatment plan with you and give you a copy of the hearing test.
• If appropriate, hearing aids will be offered. Don’t be afraid to ask the Audiologist any questions you have to help you decide whether to accept.
• A report will then be sent to your GP/consultant.

If you have agreed to try hearing aids, you should receive an appointment for this within 4-6 weeks.

If you have any questions before attending, please contact us on either 01254 734043 or 01282 805901. You can also email us at: Audiology.ELHT@elht.nhs.uk.

The Hearing Therapist or Specialist Audiologist will introduce themselves, check your details and explain the appointment, ensuring you are happy to proceed.

It may be appropriate to test your hearing and if so they will check your ears and perform a diagnostic hearing test.

A in depth audiological and psychosocial history will be taken to look at possible triggers for your tinnitus followed by a full explanation of both how we hear, how we listen and the tinnitus mechanism. A treatment plan will then be agreed. This can include:

• Hearing aids
• Sound generators
• Tinnitus counselling (including CBT)
• Tinnitus Management Course – a 4 week course teaching about tinnitus and relaxation
• Relaxation Therapy
• Sleep Management
• Management of other impacting audiological issues such as balance, hearing sensitivity and hearing loss

We continue working with you until you are no longer distressed with your tinnitus.

A report is sent to your refer and your GP.

Adult audiology work closely with the ENT specialists to provide a full range of diagnostic vestibular tests and rehabilitation, helping with the diagnosis and treatment of your dizziness.

New Patients

Your GP can refer you into the Adult Audiology Service via the NHS e-referral service, also known as Choose and Book.

Existing Hearing aids/Service users

Please contact your nearest Main Audiology site:

Adult Audiology

Royal Blackburn Hospital

Haslingden Road

Blackburn

BB2 3HH

01254 734043

Adult Audiology

Level 6

St Peter’s Centre

Church Street

Burnley

BB11 2DL

01282 805901

Or email: Audiology.ELHT@elht.nhs.uk 

Main Sites

Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital - The audiology department can be found on level 2

St Peter’s Centre, Burnley - The audiology department can be found on level 6

Lisa Gervaise - Departmental Lead in Adult Audiology

Nina Steel – Deputy Departmental Lead in Adult Audiology

Larissa Doswell – Senior Audiologist – Lead in patients with complex hearing needs

Nicola Barker – Senior Audiologist – Lead in Dementia

Simon Sneath - Senior Audiologist - Lead in complex hearing aid patients

Sarah Heyworth – Audiologist

Farhat Rafiq - Audiologist

Uzma Khan - Audiologist

Sadia Ahmed - Audiologist

Amir Khan - Audiologist

Saleha Mehmood - Audiologist

Niki Marsden – Audiology Assistant Practitioner

Cathy Hatch - Audiology Assistant Practitioner

Jean Kendall – Receptionist

Vanessa Kay - Receptionist

Teresa McKie - Receptionist

Vivienne Haworth - Receptionist

For any general enquiries or advice about our service please telephone:

01254 734043.( Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital)

01282 805901 (St Peter’s Centre)

or Email:

Audiology.ELHT@elht.nhs.uk

Our Audiology reception desks at our main sites in Royal Blackburn Hospital and St Peter’s Centre, Burnley are open for enquiries Monday to Friday 9am-5pm

Paediatric Audiology

The Paediatric Audiology Service is delivered by a team of professionals with specialist training in assessing and managing hearing loss in children The new born hearing screening team screens babies at birth for hearing loss.

Further Contacts

Sensory Impairment team – Offer advice, training and equipment to aid independence

Contact the team for your area for information:

Blackburn with Darwen

Service information

The Council employs staff with specialist knowledge and skills to meet the needs of people who experience problems with everyday activities due to a visual impairment, hearing impairment or a dual sensory loss.

They also provide

·        statutory assessment;

·        rehabilitation;

·        equipment and

·        training.

They can also put your name on the sensory impairment register.

Rest of Lancashire  

Hearing Impairment Social Care Support Officers now offer a full sensory assessment addressing hearing loss.

They have specialist equipment such as baby cry monitors, smoke alarms with bed pillow sensors, TV loop systems of various formats, Echo loop systems for one to one conversations and group chats, telephone amplifiers, doorbells, and pager systems.
They can also assess the patients social care needs and whether community equipment such as a commode etc... is required.

Patients can self-refer for a sensory assessment  Tel:  0300 123 6720 or text 07860031294

Please note the patient has to have an assessment and needs to be eligible for services and equipment and that there can be no guarantee that people will receive equipment as they may not be eligible

Action on Hearing loss

Equipment to help people with hearing loss is available from this website:

http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/shop.aspx

British Tinnitus Association

Tel: 0800 018 0527

Tinnitus.org,uk  

Tinnitus – NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tinnitus/

Dizziness – NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dizziness/

C2Hear - developed in partnership with the National Institute for Health Research, University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust  .https://c2hearonline.com/index.html

Connevans

https://www.connevans.co.uk/

Deaf Society

Lip Reading classes

Access to Work Office

https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work

Access to Work helpline
Telephone: 0800 121 7479
Textphone: 0800 121 7579
NGT text relay (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 121 7479
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service

To use this you must:

·        first check you can use the service

·        go to the video relay service

Monday to Friday, 8am to 7.30pm

Alternative formats

Call the Access to Work number to ask for alternative formats, such as braille, large print or audio CD.

Action on Hearing loss

Information Line 
Our Information Line offers free confidential and impartial information on a whole range of subjects relating to deafness, hearing loss and tinnitus.

Telephone: 0808 808 0123 (free phone)
Textphone: 0808 808 9000 (free phone)
SMS: 0780 0000 360
Email: informationline@hearingloss.org.uk

Head office
1-3 Highbury Station Road, London N1 1SE
Telephone: 0207 359 4442
Textphone: 020 7296 8001

Shop

If you have a question about our products:

Action on Hearing Loss Shop Team, Bakewell Road, Peterborough, PE2 6XU
Telephone: 03330 144525
Textphone: 03330 144530
Email: solutions@hearingloss.org.uk

Supporter Care team
Telephone: 033 3320 6995
textphone: 020 3227 6185
Email: supportercare@hearingloss.org.uk