Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact your GP and ask for a referral to Manchester Royal Infirmary Audiology Department. Your GP will refer you for an appointment where an Audiologist will assess your hearing.

If you have been referred by your GP then you will be seen by an Audiologist who will assess your hearing and talk with you about any hearing difficulties you might be experiencing.

If you have been referred by an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) consultant you will already have had a hearing assessment. The Audiologist will talk with you about things that you can try to help with any hearing difficulties you might be experiencing.

For examples of possible communication options please click here.

‘If your hearing aids have been issued by us you can access our Drop in repair service that is open between 10 am and 2 pm Monday to Friday. You do not need to book an appointment in advance to access this service.’

If your hearing has gone down suddenly please contact your GP or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency department.

If you feel your hearing has gradually become worse and you are already a hearing aid user please contact the department on 0161 276 4613. We will advise you on what to do or may make you an appointment, depending on how long it has been since your last hearing test.

You need have the tubing changed on your hearing aid every six months. If you need help please access our Drop in repair service that is open between 10 am and 2 pm Monday to Friday. You do not need to book an appointment in advance to access this service.

You can collect batteries from the ENT reception desk. Please let the receptionist know which colour batteries you use. If you find it difficult to attend the department, you can send someone else to collect batteries on your behalf.

After fitting your hearing aid, the Audiologist will make an appointment to review your progress in 6-8 weeks. After that appointment, Audiology will not send for you. It is up to you to contact the Audiology department and come into the open repairs service if you have any problems or if you feel your hearing has changed. You are entitled to a hearing test every three years or sooner if you think your hearing has changed. To make this appointment please contact the Audiology reception on: 0161 276 4613.

The hearing aids are on loan from the hospital. This means that you may be liable for a charge if it is lost. If you have lost your hearing aid please contact the department on (0161) 276 4613 or email: audiology.mri@mft.nhs.uk

In order for the department to replace the hearing aid we require a police crime number.

The size of a hearing aid depends on the degree of your hearing loss. The Audiologist will select the hearing aid most suitable for your hearing. The more powerful hearing aids are generally larger in size.

All the hearing aids fitted in the department are digital hearing aids. This means they are programmed by a computer to match your individual hearing needs.

In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids are very expensive to manufacture compared to hearing aids which sit behind-the-ear (BTE), because they have to be individually made for each person’s ear. They also break down more frequently, as they are more easily blocked up by wax. For these reasons, the NHS does not offer ITEs unless there are exceptional medical circumstances.  The technology for both ITE and BTE hearing aids is the same so they will both be just as beneficial to your hearing.

There are 3 main reasons why a hearing aid may whistle:

• There may be a lot of wax in your ears.
• The ear mould of your hearing aid may not be in your ear properly.
• The ear mould may not be a tight enough fit in your ear.

you can access our Drop in repair service that is open between 10 am and 2 pm Monday to Friday. You do not need to book an appointment in advance to access this service.

Yes, there are no issues with wearing hearing aids when in an aeroplane. You may want to remove them during take off as it can get very noisy.