Audiology
Our Audiology Department is based in the main Outpatients (ground floor) at The Birmingham Children’s Hospital. We offer Outreach services at Allen’s Croft Children’s Centre (Kings Heath) for routine hearing assessments and multi-specialty Down’s syndrome clinic with the Community Paediatricians. Our baby clinic at The Birmingham Women’s Hospital allows our Senior Audiologists to assess newborn babies who have been referred from the newborn hearing screeners.
What we do
Our team of Audiologists offer a comprehensive, family-friendly, diagnostic and habilitative hearing assessment service from birth to 16 years of age. Our range of objective hearing assessments is designed to test those who are not behaviourally testable. Habilitation also forms a major part of the service that we offer if hearing loss is detected. The options include the fitting of various devices such as hearing aids, bone-anchored hearing aids, bone conduction and assisted listening devices. Our hearing therapy team also work closely with the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department and other professionals to assist those with complex hearing/listening needs. Our holistic approach takes into account clinical, environmental, social and personal elements. We actively encourage parental involvement and create individual management plans to help monitor our patients in conjunction with parents. Our paediatric bone-anchored hearing aid programme is one of the largest in Europe which supports referrals from all over the country. When not dealing with patients we actively support Aston University’s and work experience students looking for a career in the NHS.
The Audiology team
Our team consists of senior Audiologists, Audiologists, assistant Audiologists and an Audiology administrative team. We all work together to provide a high quality friendly and welcoming service to all. Our work is closely linked with our ENT department where we often provide combined clinics to support our patients and their families. We provide a wide range of language interpreters through our interpreter service (booked) which also includes British sign language. We regularly liaise with internal and external professionals to ensure our patients are fully supported throughout. Our Senior Audiologists have their own caseload of aided patients (newborn to 5 years) which helps to build rapport and trust; our care plans are essential to provide ongoing support which is necessary when a new diagnosis has been given.
Our service
We receive referrals from a wide range of professionals externally and internally. Our ENT department works closely with our team on a daily basis to provide joint support for our patients. If concerns are raised about a child’s hearing the GP, health visitor, Speech and Language Therapist and other hospital professionals can make a referral to Audiology.
Our services include:
- An extensive range of hearing assessments from birth to 16 years. Each test is adapted accordingly to the patient's needs to give an accurate diagnosis.
- Rehabilitation provided with a wide range of hearing aids for conductive, sensorineural and mixed hearing losses.
- Bone Anchored Hearing Aid Service
- Complex habilitation includes tinnitus, hyperacusis, auditory processing disorder management and the fitting of assistive listening devices.
- Support our Consultant ENT Surgeons during their clinics and provide combined specialty sessions for a combined care approach.
- Training/supervising students from University and involved with the Trust's work experience programme for those considering a career in the NHS.
- Working with the Clinical Research Facility on various research projects.
- Audits and research to improve and update our services.
- Performing diagnostic tests after new-born hearing screening at The Birmingham Children’s and Birmingham Women’s hospital sites.
- Transitional service for those reaching the age of 16. This service ensures that the appropriate adult NHS Audiology care package is chosen for those patients who wear hearing aids.
Location, opening times and contact numbers
Our Audiology Department is located on the ground floor in main Outpatients at The Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Our normal hours of operation are weekdays 9am-1pm and 1.30pm till 5pm. The Department can be contacted on 0121 333 9999 Ext 9364 or 9366. The generic email address for the department is bch-tr.AudiologyDepartment@nhs.net. Our text phone number is 07990 124 746.
Please bring your hearing aids and devices with you to all appointments.
Audiology Manager
Rebecca Lawrence
r.lawrence@nhs.net
Telephone: 0121 333 9999 ext 9363
Deputy Audiology Manager
Caroline Wood
caroline.wood10@nhs.net
Telephone:0121 333 9999 ext 9363
BAHA Lead Audiologist
Anne Child-Hymas
anne.child-hymas@nhs.net
Telephone: 0121 333 9999 ext 9367
Audiology Administrative Manager
Telephone: 0121 333 9370
Audiology administrative team
Telephone: 0121 333 9364/9366.
Our Outreach Clinic details are shown below:
Allens Croft Children’s Centre
Allens Croft Road
Kings Heath
Birmingham
B14 6RP
Telephone: 0121 675 0362
Baby Clinic
Ground floor
Birmingham Women’s Hospital
Mindelsohn Way
Birmingham
B15 2TG
Telephone: 0121 335 8192
Lost Hearing aids
Our service aims to provide the best resources and devices for optimal hearing care. The table below shows the cost to the NHS should these devices get lost. Any concerns regarding lost or broken devices can be reported to 0121 333 9360.
| Hearing aid type | 1 Aid | 2 Aids | This could buy... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behind the ear aid | £150 | £300 | A PlayStation 4 |
| Bone conduction aid | £255 | £510 | A Premiere League season ticket |
| Spectacle aid | £576 | £1152 | An iPhone 11 Pro |
| ADHEAR aid | £2872 | £5744 | An all-inclusive-family holiday |
| Oticon BAHA | £3620 | £7240 | A new car |
The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)
The NDCS is a leading charity for hearing-impaired children and young adults. They provide support, advice and away days to benefit all. They have an excellent web page and cover many topics including:
- Types/Causes of Hearing Loss
- Glue ear
- Communication
- Financial support/advice
- Technology and hearing
- Supporting young adults during the transition to Adult Audiology services
- Auditory neuropathy and auditory dys-synchrony
- Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and deafness
- Down’s syndrome
- Tips on getting your child to wear hearing aids
- Enlarged vestibular aqueduct
- Glue ear
- Ndcs.org.uk
Telephone 0808 800 8880
TEXT 079860022888
Also provide BLS video call live chat sessions.