Children's audiology

About

Hearing is an important aspect of day to day life. It helps us to connect with the world around us better. Our aim in audiology is to empower individuals and help them to overcome the barriers their hearing can create for them. 

Our children’s audiology service is part of a multispecialty paediatric department. Many of the specialties are nationally and internationally renowned. We provide a comprehensive, family-friendly and integrated screening, diagnostic and habilitative audiology service for babies and children of all ages with hearing difficulties. 

We aim to provide the best quality care for our patients and follow local and national protocols, as well as conducting audits to ensure our service is always improving and working at its most optimum.

We have particular expertise in assessing children who are difficult to test, and provide a reactive service for babies and children who have lost their hearing as a result of meningitis, birth complications and other conditions such as glue ear. The service receives over 100 new referrals a month.

Conditions and treaments

Our services are led by audiovestibular physicians and audiologists. We provide extensive assessments for children with:

• general hearing concerns
• speech and language difficulties 
• glue ear concerns 
• tinnitus
• family related hearing loss
• ototoxicity monitoring 

We conduct full investigations of hearing loss using a number of tests such as:

• full behavioural hearing assessments 
• otoacoustic emission testing
• auditory brainstem response (ABR) assessment under natural sleep, sedation or general anaesthetic
• speech testing

Treatments we offer

Habilitation is an important part of audiology and we aim to provide a range of aids individual to each child to meet their needs. Our aids include:

• a range of behind-the-ear hearing aid fittings 
• bone anchored hearing aids 
• bone conduction hearing aids 
• cross hearing aids 

Clinics

Our children's audiology service holds clinics at St Mary's and Charing Cross hospitals as well as the medical centre on Woodfield road.

Charing Cross Hospital paediatric hearing clinic

Address

Children’s hearing clinic
Paediatric audiology department
Second floor
North wing
Charing Cross Hospital
Fulham Palace Road
London W6 8RF

Hours

09.00 to 17.00, Monday through Friday

Contact information

Phone: 020 3311 1020
Email: childrens.hearing@nhs.net

St Mary’s Hospital paediatric hearing clinic

Address

Paediatric audiology department
Paediatric outpatients department
Sixth floor
Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother (QEQM) Building
St Mary’s Hospital
Praed Street
London W2 1NY

Hours

9.00 to 17.00, Monday through Friday

Contact information

Phone: 020 3312 2448
Email: smpaediatric.audiology@nhs.net

Woodfield Road Medical Centre clinic 

Address

Paediatric audiology department
First floor
Woodfield Road Surgery
7E Woodfield Road
London W9 3XZ

Hours

08.45 to 17.15, Monday through Friday

Parking

There is free parking in a small parking lot with limited availability. The parking operates on a first come first serve basis and can be found directly outside the medical centre.

Contact information

Phone: 020 3312 2448

Consultants

Dr Mohamed Hariri, consultant audiovestibular physician

Paediatric audiology team 

Sarah Allison - paediatric audiology service lead
Nadine Couzens – paediatric audiology clinical lead
Mana Ahnood – senior specialist paediatric audiologist
Anu Kanathil – senior paediatric audiologist
Kyla Eichhorn – senior paediatric audiologist
Christina Tampakaki – senior paediatric audiologist

Administrators

Samuel Arnold, receptionist at Charing Cross Hospital
Johanna Newby, paediatric audiology coordinator at St Mary’s Hospital and the Woodfield Road Medical Centre

Secretaries to consultants

Maria Khalaeel, secretary to Dr Hariri at Charing Cross Hospital 

Before your appointment

A parent or guardian should attend the appointment with the patient as patients who are under 16 years cannot consent to procedures.

If your baby is under the age of three months, it is likely they will need to be asleep for the appointment. There will be more information about this in your appointment letter.

Let us know if you need an interpreter and remember if this is the first appointment we will need your child’s 'red book' at the appointment. 

Please try not to bring other small children with you as this may make hearing tests difficult, however we understand this isn't always possible.

It often helps to think of a list of questions you’d like to ask the doctor or audiologist about your child’s condition and to bring this list to the appointment. Patients with hearing aids should always wear these to their appointment. Let us know if you need an interpreter and remember to bring your child’s 'red book' with you. 

Please remember to check your appointment letter for anything specific you have been asked to take with you. In addition, it would be helpful if you could bring the following:

• your full address and telephone number(s)
• your appointment card and appointment letter
• your GPs name and address
• a list of questions you may want to ask

Our team are happy to answer any questions you may have, so please call the paediatric audiology department at the hospital where your appointment will be held and ask for more details (contact details can be found in our clinic information).    

During your appointment

On arrival please ensure you check in with our reception team to ensure the audiologist or doctor is aware you have arrived. Please note there are also self-check in kiosks at our St Mary’s Hospital site.  

If there have been any changes to your personal information, for example if you have moved house, please ensure you have informed our reception staff so your details can be updated. You can also inform the audiologist or doctor during your appointment.

We do strive to see our patients at their appointment times however at busy times the wait may be up to an hour. We suggest you allow up to 90 minutes for your appointment. Your child is welcome to use our play areas while waiting for your appointment, but you must supervise your child at all times. Please visit our paediatrics page for more information.

Please note that we are a teaching hospital, so medical students may be present for some appointments. If you do not wish to have them in the room please let the audiologist or doctor know and the students will be asked to step outside.

During your assessment appointments we will check your child's hearing if we haven’t already done so. Based on their age we will play different games and engage with them to acclimatise them to the test environment.

After your appointment

We will send a written report to you and your GP, as well as any other health professionals who may have referred you. We will also arrange any follow-up appointments that may be necessary.

Patient information leaflets

• Ear wax treatment
• Getting your child to wear their hearing aids
• Glue ear
• Hearing aid fitting appointment
• Hearing assessment under sedation
• Hearing screening and congenital cytomegalovirus CMV
• Listening exercises
• Social story complex clinic
• Transitioning to adult audiology services
• Welcome to the children's audiology department
• Welcome to the children’s audiology department
• Your baby's hearing assessment
• Your child's hearing assessment appointment

GP

Please use NHS e-Referrals to refer a patient to our children's audiology service.

We welcome referrals for patients with the following: 

• concerns about hearing
• concerns about speech and language development 
• uncertainty about hearing in children with developmental delay
• uncertainty about hearing in children with behavioural problems
• children at risk of hearing problems as a result of a medical condition or treatment for a medical condition 

Unfortunately we do not yet provide:

• auditory processing testing
• clinical balance assessments
• cochlear implant assessments

Referrals to Charing Cross Hospital/Parkview Centre

• From health visitor or speech language therapist
• From school nurse

Referrals to St Mary's Hospital/Woodfield Road Medical Centre

• From health visitor or speech language therapist
• From school nurse

Further online resources

If your children has recently received a diagnosis, your audiologist, audiovestibular physician or ear, nose and throat consultant will provide information tailored to your child, but if you would like to read further there are a number of resources you can access. 

• NATIONAL DEAF CHILDREN’S SOCIETY
• National Deaf Children's Society – my baby has a hearing loss
• NHS NEWBORN HEARING SCREENING PROGRAMME 
• BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF AUDIOVESTIBULAR PHYSICIANS 
• NHS CHOICES – GLUE EAR 
• NHS CHOICES – HEARING LOSS
• MICROTIA MINGLE UK

 

There are also a number of apps that you can download to your device that provide information and resources for you and your child.

• My Ear Anatomy – Play Store and App Store
• Oxford Medical Dictionary – Play Store and App Store (please note that you have to pay for this app)
• First Sounds – Play Store
• Sound Essentials – Play Store
• Resound Tinnitus Relief – Play Store and App Store
• Sign BSL – Play Store and App Store