Our Services A - Z - Audiology
About the service
The audiology team works closely with ear, nose and throat (ENT) consultants and physiotherapists to provide assessment and treatment for people with hearing loss and balance disorders.
We provide diagnostic and rehabilitation services, including balance tests, using state of the art equipment. A full hearing aid service is offered at both our hospital sites and at Formby clinic.
We also treat gradual hearing loss and tinnitus over the age of 40 as a direct referral from your GP, and run booked sessions for repair and maintenance of hearing instruments.
Audiology Patient Survey
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Please complete the relevant survey below:
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- Opening times
The Audiology Department offers pre-booked appointments Monday to Friday 8.00am – 12.30pm and 1.00pm – 5.30pm at Southport Hospital and at Ormskirk Hospital.
There may be occasions when the department needs to open late or close early for staff training or maintenance.
You may contact the department by telephone between 9.00am – 12.30pm and 1.00pm - 4.00pm. If you prefer to call outside of these times, you may leave a message on our answer machine. You may also contact us by e-mail.
We offer pre-booked appointments at Formby Clinic on Thursdays. To book your slot, please contact the Audiology clerical team at Southport. Formby Clinic reception staff have no involvement in booking our clinics and they cannot change or cancel existing appointments.
- Accessing our Service
The Audiology Department accepts hearing test referrals from GP services for adults aged 40 years and over.
If you are already under the care of our service (and your hearing aids were issued by us), you may contact us directly to arrange further appointments for hearing aid maintenance or reassessment.
Most patients will be eligible for hearing aid reassessment every 3 years. If you think you might be eligible and you feel your hearing has deteriorated, please contact us to discuss this further and arrange an appointment.
- Hearing Aid Repairs and Maintenance
There is no longer a “drop-in” repairs and maintenance service. This has been replaced with a pre-booked appointment system.
We kindly request that you do not come into the department with the expectation of being attended to on the same day, if you do not have a pre-booked appointment. The audiologists are unable to “squeeze in” extra patients without causing significant delays to the pre-booked appointments. Please telephone or e-mail the department to arrange your appointment.
Sometimes the department can receive a high volume of calls. Typically, the busiest times are mid-morning and early afternoon. If you leave a message on our answer machine, we will always endeavour to call you back as soon as possible.
Our clerical team will ask you some questions to determine the most appropriate type of appointment for you. Please try to help them by describing the problem(s) as clearly as you can and telling them if there is more than one issue that you would like to discuss at your appointment.
When you attend your repair appointment, you may be seen by an Assistant Audiologist, an Apprentice Audiologist or an Audiologist. They will do their best to repair or, if necessary, replace the hearing aid. However, there may be times when it is not possible to fully address all of your concerns in one appointment, or you may need to see a different member of the team with more specialised knowledge.
Repair/maintenance appointments are intended as short appointments (usually 15 minutes) to resolve relatively straightforward problems, such as:
- Blocked, damaged, kinked or loose tubes
- Whistling hearing aids
- Uncomfortable earmoulds
- Lost*, damaged or faulty hearing aids
*there is a charge of £70 to replace a lost hearing aid (exemptions apply).
- Service Leads
Brendan Crann - Audiology Service Manager
Jennifer Benson - Team Leader Specialist Audiologist - How to Contact us
E-mail: soh-tr.audiology@merseywestlancs.nhs.uk
Southport Audiology Department: 01704 705 230
Ormskirk Audiology Department: 01695 656 708
(Please also use the Southport number to book Audiology appointments at Formby Clinic).
Further Information
Ambio hearing aid
- How to insert a hearing aid with an earmould
- How to clean an earmould
- How to retube an earmould
- How to insert a slim tube
- How to clean a slim tube
- How to change a slim tube
- How to change a hearing aid battery
Ambio App
- How to request assistance using your BeMore App
- Installing your new hearing aid settings using the BeMore App
- How to rate my sound using the BeMore App
In addition to the above please find further Ambio resources here
Page last updated on 14th January 2026