WWL Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Welcome to Audiology

Welcome to Adult Audiology Services – here you will find information about the services we provide which we hope you will find useful.

We provide a range of high quality digital hearing aids, comprehensive hearing and balance assessments, hearing aid fitting, rehabilitation services and therapy for hearing impaired adults – all of which are entirely free.

What is Audiology?

The term Audiology refers to the science of hearing.

A much broader definition of Audiology is the discipline involved in the prevention and identification of hearing impairment; which includes evaluation of hearing disorders, the selection and evaluation of hearing aids and the habilitation/rehabilitation of individuals with hearing impairment.

Services offered include:

Included free of charge in the service are:

Discreet state-of-the-art digital hearing aids
Batteries and repairs
Rehabilitation and hearing therapy service
Comprehensive after care
Hearing Aid Maintenance Classes

Some Questions and Answers

How long will I have to wait?

Our aim is to offer you an appointment within about four weeks.

How do I make an appointment?

To be referred to NHS Audiology you will need to:
1. Visit your GP to check your ears are clear.
2. Ask your GP to send us a referral.

Location

There are two Adult Audiology departments; one is situated on the first floor at the Thomas Linacre Centre in Wigan and the other in Area 5 at Leigh Infirmary.

Opening Times

Audiology service opening hours are 8:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Contact Us

Audiology Department
Suite 2
Thomas Linacre Centre
Parsons Walk
Wigan
WN1 1RU

Or

Audiology Department
Area 5
Leigh Infirmary
The Avenue
Leigh
WN7 1HS

Telephone: 01942 774667

E-mail: audiology@wwl.nhs.uk

Meet the Team

KATHRYN FRANCE – AUDIOLOGY SERVICES MANAGER

Kathryn trained and qualified as an Audiologist at Hope Hospital in Salford in 1988. She worked there with both Adult and Paediatric patients until 2000 when she joined the team at Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Foundation Trust.

Kathryn holds overall responsibility for the clinical and administrative aspects of the department. She is the lead for information and clinical governance; health and safety and infection control. She has special interests in the management of tinnitus and providing advice on hearing aids and accessories that are currently not available via the NHS.

Kathryn has a Clinical Educator qualification. She is a member of the British Academy of Audiology (BAA), Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP) and Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

KATIE PARK – DEPUTY AUDIOLOGY SERVICES MANAGER

Katie completed her training at the University of Manchester and joined Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust in 2008.

Katie is Clinical Lead and Audit Lead for the Audiology service. She has special interests in Complex Needs assessments and providing advice on hearing aids and accessories that are currently not available via the NHS. She also leads on the transition of patients joining the service from the Children’s Hearing Service.

Katie has a Clinical Educator qualification. She is a member of the British Academy of Audiology (BAA), Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP) and Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

ELIZABETH HESKETH – HEARING THERAPIST

Elizabeth joined Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust in 2002 as a student hearing therapist and completed her training at the University of Bristol.

Elizabeth is Clinical Champion for Rehabilitation and for the Severe/ Profound Service. She has special interests in communication training, rehabilitation and hearing aid management, tinnitus and providing training packages on hearing loss awareness to staff and the wider community.

Elizabeth has a Clinical Educator qualification, an Education and Training (Level 3) qualification and is a member of the British Academy of Audiology (BAA) and the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP).

JENNIFER LUCAS – SENIOR AUDIOLOGIST

Jennifer joined Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust in 2000 as a student audiologist and completed her training at the University of Salford.

Jennifer is Clinical Champion for the Audiology Balance service. She has special interests in vestibular diagnostics and tinnitus assessment and management. She is also the department’s Veteran Aware Champion.

Jennifer has a Clinical Educator qualification and is a member of the British Academy of Audiology (BAA) and the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP).

CLARE WOOD – SENIOR AUDIOLOGIST

Clare completed her training at the University of Manchester and joined Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust in 2006.

Clare is Clinical Champion for the Private Dispensing Service and Severe to Profound hearing loss service. She also has a special interest in all aspects of adult assessment and rehabilitation including tinnitus.

Clare has a Clinical Educator Qualification and is a member of the British Academy of Audiology (BAA), Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP) and Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

LUCY HIGHFIELD – SENIOR AUDIOLOGIST

Lucy completed her training at the University of Manchester and joined Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust in 2011.

Lucy is Clinical Champion for the Complex Needs Service. She has special interests in complex needs assessment, tinnitus and student training.

Lucy has a Clinical Educator Qualification and is a member of the British Academy of Audiology (BAA), Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP) and Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

CHARLOTTE (LOTTIE) BRADBURN – SENIOR AUDIOLOGIST

Lottie completed her training at the University of Manchester and joined Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust in 2015.

Lottie is Clinical Champion for the Tinnitus Service. She has a special interest in tinnitus, complex needs assessment and student training. She is also involved in the department patient feedback and statistics.

Lottie has a Clinical Educator qualification and is a member of the British Academy of Audiology (BAA) and Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP).

UZMA IBRAHIM – SENIOR AUDIOLOGIST

Uzma completed her training at the University of Manchester and joined the team at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust in 2017.

Uzma is Clinical Champion for Auditbase (Audiology Patient Management System).

Special Interests: Vestibular diagnostics and severe/profound assessments and rehabilitation.

Uzma is a member of the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP).

CHLOE BURROWS – AUDIOLOGIST

Chloe completed her training at Aston University in 2017 and joined the team at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust in 2019.

Special Interests: Adult assessment and rehabilitation, student training.

Chloe is a member of the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP).

FARZEEN SAJID - AUDIOLOGIST

Farzeen completed her training at The University of Manchester and joined the team at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust in 2022.

Special interests: Adult assessment and rehabilitation.

Farzeen is a member of the Registration Council of Clinical Physiologists (RCCP).

NICOLA WANE – ASSOCIATE AUDIOLOGIST

Nicola joined the team at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust in 2003.

Special Interests: Hearing aid maintenance classes and assisting with Complex Needs clinics.

RUTH PEET – AUDIOLOGY ASSISTANT

Ruth joined the team at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust in 2016.

Special Interests: Ruth is part of the staff engagement team. She is also responsible for collating information from our Leigh patient feedback service ‘We Are Listening’ and feeding back to the staff lead.

CLERICAL TEAM

The Audiology Clerical team are: Sarah Fuller, Pauline Greer, Bethany Field and Carla Fletcher. They provide support for the Audiology service including; appointment bookings, answering the telephones, replying to email requests, manning the reception desks, dealing with enquires and various other administrative duties. They are always happy to help with any enquiries and provide information as required.

Hearing Therapy

What is Hearing Therapy?

Hearing Therapy is a service which can provide information, counselling and practical assistance for people experiencing issues with hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis.

Where can I access the Hearing Therapy service?

The Hearing Therapy service is part of the Audiology Department. Referrals can be made to Hearing Therapy from Audiology, or from the Ear, Nose and Throat Department.

Who runs the Hearing Therapy Service?

The Hearing Therapy service is run by the Hearing Therapist, Elizabeth Hesketh, and by the Rehabilitation Audiologist, Clare Wood.

What specific services are offered by Hearing Therapy?

Communication:

We can offer sessions of communication tactics for patients, family and significant others.

Lip-reading sessions are available on an individual basis, and we can provide information about local lip-reading groups

We can provide Auditory Training sessions for developing listening ability for people with hearing losses.

We offer assertiveness sessions to enhance patient confidence in explaining their communication needs and hearing problems to others.

Equipment:

We can provide advice-giving sessions regarding assistive listening devices and can refer onto the Sensory Team, for further assistance.

Training and Talks:

We provide training sessions for staff at residential care homes and those within caring professions.

We also run Hearing Loss Awareness talks for professional and public groups.

Advice–giving and Relaxation:

We offer advice-giving sessions for patients with Tinnitus and other sound tolerance issues.

We provide advice-giving sessions to patients who have experienced sudden losses, or those having difficulty coping with a hearing loss.

We offer relaxation sessions for people experiencing problems with tinnitus, sound tolerance issues or hearing loss, to reduce stress and enhance management techniques.

Rehabilitation:

We provide sessions for people needing extra time to develop effective management techniques for using hearing aids.

We provide information and practical help sessions for people who have dexterity, dual sensory loss or memory problems requiring additional help to adapt to their hearing aids using alternative techniques.

We work with the Complex Needs Audiology team to provide rehabilitation packages including hearing aid management and adaptation, communication strategies and equipment assessments for patients with complex needs and hearing loss.

Listening difficulties when hearing is within normal limits:

We are able to offer counselling, relaxation and communication advice sessions to people who have hearing within normal limits but struggle to understand speech, especially in the presence of background noise.

We can provide sessions of Auditory training to assist with listening in quiet and in the presence of background noise.

Further Information:
If you would like any further information, please contact the Audiology Department by:

Telephone: 01942 774667

E-mail: audiology@wwl.nhs.uk

Text Relay Service: 18001 774667

Complex Needs Service

Introduction

It is estimated approximately 10-40% of adults with a learning disability have a hearing impairment. If hearing has not previously been assessed, barriers to communication can have an impact conversation with others, involvement within a group and confidence.

We offer a specialist service for adults with complex needs or learning disabilities who require a hearing assessment, reassessment or support with their hearing aids.

In the hearing assessment appointment, the Audiologist would like to establish if there are any concerns hearing in different listening situations, obtain a brief history, examine the ears and complete a hearing assessment [if appropriate].

Who is suitable for referral?

New patients

We accept referrals for clients with mild-severe learning disabilities or other complex needs.

Existing patients

We can review any patient who has previously been under the care of our Audiology service and feel a hearing reassessment would be beneficial.

Who can refer?

GP
ENT
Community LD Team
Social workers

How to refer?

Relatives, friends or carers who suspect the patient is having difficulty hearing, can contact the department or GP to discuss their concerns. It is advised a GP or nurse practitioner, examines the ears for wax before the hearing assessment appointment.

Referral Form

Any of the above listed professionals, can complete their own referral form or the Audiology referral form, available here.

The referral form will be read by the Audiologist, before an appointment is arranged by the clerical team.

Meet the Team

Katie Park –Deputy Audiology Manager

Lucy Highfield – Senior Audiologist

Charlotte Bradburn – Senior Audiologist

Nicola Wane – Associate Audiologist

Contact Us

Telephone: 01942 774667

Fax: 01942 774639

E-mail: audiology@wwl.nhs.uk

Audiology
The Thomas Linacre Centre
Parsons Walk
Wigan
WN1 1RU

Leaflets

Adult Audiology Services for Patients with Learning Disabilities

Welcome to Audiology (Easy Read) Leaflet

Swim Moulds

What are Swim Moulds?

Swim moulds are designed to stop water getting into the ear and protecting the ear canal and middle ear system. They are made from hypoallergenic medical grade silicon and come in a variety of colours and styles.

Who Do They Benefit?

People who have undergone ear surgery or people who have:

Chronic swimmers ear
Perforated ear drums or modified middle ear systems
Persistent ear infections

At present we can only see patients who are 16 and over.

How are they fitted?

Patients will come to the Audiology Department either at the Thomas Linacre Centre in Wigan or Area Five in Leigh Infirmary and their ears will be examined by one of our highly trained Audiologists.

An impression is taken of the ear and is then sent off in order for the swim moulds to be made by the manufacturer. Once they have been made, patients will have an appointment at the Audiology Department to ensure that the moulds fit properly.

Cost?

Consultations are free but a charge is made for the swim moulds themselves. Please ask your Audiologist for details.

How do I make an appointment?

Contact the Audiology department directly.

Audiology Contact Details

Telephone: 01942 774667

E- mail: Audiology@wwl.nhs.uk

Employment and Educational Assistance

University and College Disability Support Services are available. These can provide communication support, note-taking assistance, equipment and other services. Each University or College should have a Disability Support Service. Contact your University or College course providers for further information.

Disability Employment Officers are available at Jobcentre Plus to assist you to find, and maintain, employment. They can assist with information about benefits you may be entitled to, and support services, such as Access to Work. There may be other schemes and support services that they can also offer, such as Pathways to Work, or WORKstep.

To speak to the Disability Employment Officer, contact your local Jobcentre Plus.

Wigan Jobcentre Plus
71 King Street, Wigan WN1 1EA
Telephone: 01942 752 100

Leigh Jobcentre Plus
Roydale House, 2 – 10 Windermere Road, Leigh WN7 1UT
Telephone: 01942 263 700

Access to Work

Access to work is a scheme from the Department of Work and Pensions, designed to provide funding for equipment and support services for the workplace. It is recommended that you speak to your line manager or the occupational health team at your workplace.

You can contact Access to Work, who will do an initial telephone assessment. They may recommend a workplace assessment, or ask you to contact the Audiology Department, depending on your needs.

Telephone: 0141 950 5327

Minicom Number: 0141 950 5218

Wigan and Leigh College Adult Guidance and Careers Service

Wigan Adult Guidance Service
Telephone: 01942 761 607
E-mail sh.whittle@wigan-leigh.ac.uk

Leigh Adult Guidance Service
Telephone: 01942 761 438
E-mail j.derbyshire@wigan-leigh.ac.uk

Connexions (Wigan and Leigh)
Telephone: 0800 953 0109
E-mail info@connexions-wigan.org.uk

Hearing Aid Maintenance Classes

The Audiology Department now offer small group sessions demonstrating basic maintenance of hearing moulds.

In these sessions you will learn how to retube your own earmoulds and carry out basic maintenance on your hearing aids. If you would like to take advantage of these free classes please enquire at your next appointment, or contact the department on 01942 774 667.

How to use your hearing aid with ear-mould podcast

Please see the podcast below on how to use your hearing aid with ear-mould podcast.

Make sure your speakers are turned on and press the play button to watch. The video will start after a short period of buffering.

How to use your hearing aid with open fitting podcast

Please see the podcast below on how to use your hearing aid with open fitting podcast.

Make sure your speakers are turned on and press the play button to watch. The video will start after a short period of buffering.

Severe or profound hearing impairment clinic

Hearing impairment is defined by the quietest level of sounds you can hear; known as your hearing threshold and is measured in decibels (dB).

These hearing thresholds are used to categorise your hearing as normal, mild, moderate, severe or profound impairment.

The Severe- Profound Hearing Impairment Clinic provides specialised support for patients with an average hearing loss of 80dB or worse, who are having difficulties with their hearing aid provision. This ensures these patients have access to optimal management with a full range of audiological testing and hearing aid provision, rehabilitation and onward referral to other services if appropriate.

The Severe/ Profound audiologist will assess the history of the hearing loss, the current difficulties experienced with hearing and any other related symptoms. Additional specialist hearing tests will be completed if appropriate.

Your ear moulds and hearing aid settings will be optimised, as well as providing advice on communication tactics, assistive listening devices and other services (such as sensory services team and access to work).

Tinnitus Service

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is described as the perception of sound without an outside sound being present.

Tinnitus can be many different sounds and is very individual. People report sounds such as ringing, whistling, humming, buzzing, whooshing and other sounds. Tinnitus is often heard inside the head or ears, it can be in both ears or sometimes just one.

Tinnitus can become noticeable for many reasons; this includes changes in hearing levels, ear problems, ill health, stress/anxiety, certain medical conditions and medications and noise exposure.

The Audiology department offers a tinnitus service where we carry out in depth tests to diagnose any conditions and design a care plan tailored to individual needs to help manage tinnitus.

How do we assess tinnitus?

At an assessment appointment to help manage your tinnitus most effectively we will complete:

Otoscopy- an ear check of the outer ear and ear canal to check the health of this and check for any wax, infections or ear conditions.
Pure Tone Audiometry- a hearing test to check the quietest sounds that you can hear and to see if you have any hearing loss.
Tinnitus Functional Index Questionnaire – we will ask you to complete this questionnaire to give us an indication of how much your tinnitus is affecting you and your quality of life.

What management is there for tinnitus?

Everybody needs individual care plans to help manage their tinnitus effectively depending on the results of their case history and results from testing completed.

The treatments offer include all or a combination of the following:

Counselling
Sound Therapy
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy
Hearing Aids
Relaxation

These are all provided within the Audiology Service and are delivered by a senior Audiologist and/or a Hearing Therapist.

Our aim is to provide patients with high quality, efficient services, as close to home as possible, tailored to the needs of individuals with low waiting times and free at the point of access.

How to arrange an appointment

The first person you need to see is you GP. They can then refer you to us if the main problems are your tinnitus or hearing.

We are usually able to offer appointments within 6 weeks.

Clinic details

There are two Audiology departments; one situated on the first floor at the Thomas Linacre Centre and the other in Area 5 at Leigh Infirmary.

Audiology Contact details

Email: audiology@wwl.nhs.uk

Telephone: 01942 774667

Video Otoscopy

Video Otoscopy appointment Otoscopy will be carried out at every audiology appointment that you will attend. Otoscopy is the examination of the outer ear and the tympanic membrane (ear drum) using the light from an otoscope. This allows the Audiologist to check the health of your ears and also identify wax, infections, and foreign bodies. Your audiologist will also be able to use a video otoscope. This uses a light and a camera to allow you to see what the audiologist is seeing. The use of a video otoscope is also available at every appointment upon request. Below are some examples of an ear seen using a video otoscope.

Normal Eardrum Wax in Ear Canal

Normal Eardrum Normal Eardrum Wax in Ear Canal

Transition from paediatric to adult Audiology Services

When a young person is about to leave full time secondary education, we start the transition process from our paediatric audiology department to adult audiology services.

Our transition process assists a young person to transfer seamlessly through to adult services, enabling them to take responsibility for their hearing and hearing aids. During transition, we aim to:

Encourage the young person to take full responsibility for their hearing aids
Discuss their future plans and support them in considering any areas whether they may need additional help with their hearing in the future
Make them aware of environmental aids (such as fire alarms, alarm clocks) tailored for individuals with hearing loss
Ensure all hearing aid technology and ear moulds are up to date

In addition to routine hearing aid appointments we schedule a transition clinic, where young people are able to meet health professionals involved in care of their hearing.

At this clinic they are able to discuss the transition of their care to adult services and explore any support they may need for their hearing in the future.

If you have any questions, please contact Katie Park, Transition Audiologist on 01942 774667 or e-mail: Audiology@wwl.nhs.uk

Hearing Therapy Services for Transition Clinic Patients

The Hearing Therapy Service is based within the Adult Audiology Department, at Thomas Linacre Centre and Leigh Infirmary. Hearing Therapy covers a range of management and rehabilitation options for people with a hearing loss, tinnitus and/ or hearing aids.

We can offer you:

Communication strategies to assist you to use effective communication tactics in an assertive way
Lip-reading skills to provide further communication methods in difficult listening situations including background noise
Auditory Training to help with sound processing skills
Equipment advice for everyday life and work / university environments
Telephone training to develop confidence in using the telephone
Assistance with applications to access to work, a scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions which can provide funding towards equipment and support services to help you to gain and maintain employment.
Assistance with applications to University Disability Support services for equipment, note-taking and communication support
Rehabilitation techniques to support adjustment to, and maintenance of, hearing devices and new fittings, when appropriate
Tinnitus Counselling and advice on techniques to help you manage tinnitus effectively
Relaxation and assertiveness skills to help in difficult listening environments and situations that are challenging.

The Hearing Therapist will complete a follow up with you at the Transition clinic. The Hearing Therapist can discuss and assess your individual needs at this follow up, and then book further appointments, if necessary.

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Hesketh, the Hearing Therapist on 01942 774667.

Support services and groups

Standish Lip-reading Society
The group meets on Monday afternoons.
Venue: Standish Community Centre, Moody Street, Standish.
Time: 12:45 pm – 2:45 pm.

Wigan Borough Social Services Sensory Team
Telephone number: 01942 828787
E-mail: ssdsensory@wigan.gov.uk

Action on Hearing Loss
www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk
Information Line (Free-phone)
Telephone 0808 808 0123
Textphone 0808 808 9000
Email: informationline@hearingloss.org.uk

British Tinnitus Association
www.tinnitus.org.uk/
Telephone 0800 018 0527
Minicom 0114 258 5694
E-mail: info@tinnitus.org.uk

HUSH – Hull Tinnitus Self-Help group
The group have DVDs to buy that can help with sound and visual enrichment for tinnitus management.
E-mail: hush@bbhoward.karoo.co.uk

Request Audiology Services

You can make a request to our Audiology Services by using our online form below. Services include making an appointment or requesting a new prescription.

Attend Anywhere - Online Appointments

As well as face-to-face appointments we are now offering virtual consultations for specific types of appointments Including the initial part of your assessment and hearing aid follow up appointment.

In order to access these appointments and join our virtual ‘Attend Anywhere’ waiting room all you need is the following:

A smartphone/ tablet or a computer with a webcam and speaker and reliable internet connection (wired, Wi-Fi or mobile data).

You will be provided with a link which can be sent to your email account or mobile number.

You can then click on the link at your appointment time to enter the virtual ‘waiting room’.

For more information, please contact the Audiology department on 01942 774667 or see the link and information below.

https://nhs.attendanywhere.com/callers

We are listening - Audiology patient feedback

In order to develop and improve our audiology service we rely on the feedback and comments from patients. The statistics will be published once a month to assess a patient's overall experience, how likely they would be to recommend us to family and friends, and any comments they may have.

The We Are Listening audiology statistics are available in PDF format.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your PC to view these documents. If you don't already have it installed, you can download a copy from the Adobe.com website.