New hospital hearing service based with Norfolk Deaf Association

A new hearing service based at the Norfolk Deaf Association (NDA) on Thorpe Road in Norwich goes live in April.

Expert audiologists from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) will provide the service from the NDA premises five days a week, including hearing assessment, hearing aid fitting and follow- up appointments and re-assessment of existing hearing aid users.

The expanded NNUH audiology service will use two dedicated, specially built clinic rooms in the NDA’s new headquarters in Thorpe Road, with one room housing a hearing test booth so that hearing testing can be conducted to the highest standards.

Aliona Laker, Chief Executive Officer of the Norfolk Deaf Association, says: “We wanted to offer a complete service to patients, starting with a hearing assessment and following up with the full range of support services we are offering to people with hearing loss in Norfolk. We are delighted that this is now possible working in partnership with the audiologists from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

“This service is available without visiting the hospital and provides easily accessible premises in a community, non-hospital environment”

Dr John Fitzgerald, Head of Audiology at NNUH, says: “We will be providing our full range of standard hearing aids from the NDA premises with expert assessment and advice from our experienced audiologists and we are delighted to be working with the Norfolk Deaf Association.”

The NDA provides a range of support, including a befriending service, a tinnitus support group, deaf awareness training, a hard of hearing club and a hearing support service. For more information, go to: www.norfolkdeaf.org.uk