Audiology

The Audiology service are now seeing patients face to face (by appointment only) however as you are probably aware we have a backlog of patients to see due to COVID-19.

The service continues to work towards recovery plans across Dorset in the following ways.

• Waiting lists for patients who have already been referred to our service are being prioritised based on each patients clinical need.
• For adult patients, who have already had a hearing test completed by the service and are waiting for a hearing aid fitting, our team are currently working hard to send hearing aids out to patients (where deemed clinically appropriate) by post or in some cases they are being delivered by our staff. If this is the case, you will be contacted in due course.
• Video / telephone consultations are being arranged in some cases where deemed to be appropriate.
• Baby testing is in place for those babies who have been referred via the newborn hearing screen (where deemed to be clinically appropriate).
• Postal or Booked repairs (by appointment only) are available by phoning into the service.  All walk in repairs are currently still closed.
• We are able to post batteries to patients during this time.

Our team are on hand to support your queries over the phone or by email.  If the team feel it is appropriate you may be contacted by a clinician to advise and support you remotely.  If you need help or advice please call us on 0300 303 8640 or email at dhc.audiologyenquiries@nhs.net

Please be advised we are experiencing a high volume of calls at this time and we are working to answer your calls as quickly as possible.

Hearing services

We provide services for adults and children who are affected by hearing loss, distressing tinnitus and balance disorders.

Our audiology staff provide a range of support at clinics across Dorset, including hearing assessments, hearing aid fittings, follow-ups and repairs, tinnitus counselling and balance assessment/treatment.

We also run specialist clinics for children, adults with learning disabilities and people with particularly distressing symptoms of tinnitus or vertigo.

In addition to our staff, we have trained volunteers who can visit people in their own homes and in day centres to provide help with using hearing aids.

If you, or a loved one, would like to access the audiology service, please speak to your GP. You may wish to access the telephone hearing test as a screening procedure prior to referral.

If you are an existing hearing aid user who has significant concerns about hearing deterioration, please visit one of our walk-in clinics (in Boscombe or Poole) to have your hearing aids checked and to discuss this with an audiologist.

Exercises and manoeuvres

The Brandt-Daroff exercise

Home Epley manoeuvres

Treating vertigo

Where to access the service:

(Please note, all of our sites are currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions and only the contact information below is currently valid. We will provide updates when this situation changes.)