Our audiology team provides diagnostic assessments, hearing aid fittings and rehabilitation to adults with hearing loss in a caring and friendly environment.
We also offer services in schools, specialist clinics and attend local health centres.
Sudden onset hearing loss
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
- you have sudden hearing loss in 1 or both ears
- your hearing has been getting worse over the last few days or weeks
- you have hearing loss along with other symptoms, such as earache or discharge coming out of the ear
It might not be anything serious, but it’s best to get help as it may need to be treated quickly.
What is audiology?
Audiology is the diagnostic assessment, rehabilitation and habilitation of people with ear and hearing difficulties.
Our team
Audiologists
Our experienced audiologists are healthcare professionals who diagnose and treat hearing loss in adults and children, as well as other specialties which include advice on managing tinnitus. Audiologists also provide rehabilitation in the form of counselling and hearing aid fittings as a treatment option for hearing loss.
Assistant Audiologist
Our experienced team of assistant audiologists are here to help you with maintenance and troubleshooting of your hearing aids.
Contact us
Please note: Our audiology team only covers Hartlepool and Peterlee. North Tees is covered by the team at James Cook hospital.
Phone:
01429 522585
Email:
[email protected]
Hearing aid battery safety
NHS National Patient Safety Alert Ref: NatPSA/2019/003/NHSPS
Issued 13 December 2019
The alert details current risks and advice around button cell batteries (batteries used in hearing aids) with babies and young children.
This alert is an action following a case of a child who swallowed a hearing aid battery from a standard (which is not secure) battery drawer.
NHS England: Coin/button batteries alertBabies and young children (under five years) can suffer serious injury if they ingest coin or button batteries, or poke them into their nostrils or ears. This group is at most risk of serious harm because they tend to explore the world by putting things in their mouths and batteries can become lodged in their narrow oesophagus and cause rapid tissue necrosis, perforation and haemorrhage.
As standard, we fit children under 5 with child safe battery drawers. These can only be opened using a tool issued to parents and the battery itself is held secure in the drawer.
If your child is under 5 and has been fitted with a standard drawer in error, please let us know. We will also fit a child over 5 with a child safe battery drawer where we feel it is necessary, this may be when:
the child lives with siblings who are babies and under five
the child has additional risk factors or lives with someone who has additional risk factors
We will routinely ask if anything has changed at home that might increases the risk and require a change to a child safe battery drawer.
You can also contact the audiology team on 01429 522678 if you think your child should need one.
What you can do at home
Top tips for storing hearing aids and batteries:
- When not being worn hearing aids should be stored in a secure place out of reach of children
- Spare batteries should be stored in a cupboard out of reach of children
- Batteries should be disposed of regularly at recycling points
- If you suspect a child has ingested a battery, medical attention should be sought immediately