Reviewed on : 19 Mar 2025

Reviewed by : Gateway Editor & Sam Thorne

Expires : 19 Mar 2027

Adult Hearing Service (AQP) in Coventry & Warwickshire

Revised Age Referral Criteria

New Patients under 55 Requiring Support (from 1 April 2025)

Patients requiring audiology age-related support under the age of 55 should be referred to the Complex Audiology Pathway if they meet the criteria

Or follow the self-support advice available from their GP practice, local pharmacy or chemist

Queries:

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact CWICB.contracting@nhs.net

Providers

The providers delivering the service covering Coventry and Warwickshire with On-site testing based in shops and delivering domiciliary service where appropriate are:

Signposting Guide for GPs

Refer patient to NHS Hearing Service (AQP) UNLESS YES is answered to history of any of the following then refer to Secondary Care Services:

• Persistent pain affecting either ear (defined as earache lasting more than 7 days in the past 90 days before appointment)
• Unilateral Hearing loss
• History of discharge other than wax from either ear within the last 90 days
• Sudden loss or sudden deterioration of hearing (sudden=within 1 week) which case send to A&E or Urgent Care ENT clinic)
• Rapid loss or rapid deterioration of hearing (rapid=90 days or less)
• Fluctuating hearing loss, other than associated with colds
• Unilateral or asymmetrical, or pulsatile or distressing tinnitus lasting more than 5 minutes at a time
• Troublesome tinnitus which may lead to sleep disturbance or be associated with symptoms of anxiety or depression (see also AUDIOLOGY COMPLEX DIRECT REFERRAL)
• Abnormal auditory perceptions (dysacuses)
• Vertigo
• Normal peripheral hearing but with abnormal difficulty hearing in noisy backgrounds; possibly having problems with sound localization, or difficulty following complex auditory directions.
• Complete or partial obstruction of the external auditory canal preventing proper examination of the eardrum and/or proper taking of an aural impression.
• Abnormal appearance of the outer ear and/or the eardrum (e.g.,inflammation of the external auditory canal, perforated eardrum; active discharge).
• Before referring for a hearing aid, please ensure ear wax is very thoroughly cleared, to allow effective testing and fitting.

Sudden Hearing Loss Referral

Sudden onset of severe, unilateral hearing loss – contact ENT on call at UHCW.

Paediatric Referral

Children under 16 years usually go to:

Paediatric Audiology Clinic at Child and Family Services, 4th floor, City of Coventry Health Centre, 2 Stoney Stanton Road, CV1 4FS. Tel Paediatric Audiology admin 02476961092

Referrals should be marked “for Paediatric Audiology”.

Consider referring to hospital ENT if pain, perforation, etc. See link for Grommets & Myringotomy in Children

16-18 Years Old Referral

Refer to UHCW

Self Referral to Adult Hearing Service (AQP)

Wax Removal as Part of Pathway

Continuing Care of Patients (<55) Supplied With Hearing Aids under Previous Arrangements (before April 2025)

There will be a number of patients under 55 who will have been fitted with NHS aids by providers who will need to discharged at the end of their three-year pathway. Current guidance from the ICB is that these patients should be referred to their GP for ‘review’

Some of these patients may choose to continue to access hearing aid service as private patients but otherwise these patients may need to be referred onwards to hospital audiology services

Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Hearing or Listening Difficulties

Click for link to Audiology Complex Direct Referral – (Audiology Triage Service)

Hearing aid batteries and replacement units

It will be the responsibility of the patient to fund replacement aids in the event of loss or damage unless the patient has a diagnosis of dementia, learning disabilities or blindness confirmed by the referring GP, in which case the cost of approximately £50 will be borne by the Commissioner

If the aid is over three years old then the patient could go to Specsavers and self-refer for a new aid

Otherwise the replacement price will need to be paid

Patients can collect hearing aid batteries from UHCW Out-patients Department, Clinic 8. Alternatively they can telephone the Trust on 024 7696 6444 and the batteries will be posted

Domiciliary Appointments

These are provided by Industrial Diagnostics, Scrivens and Specsavers, these can be arranged directly by the patient using the self-referral route of e-mail, telephone, or in-store or via the GP through the ERS process