Service overview
We can help if you’re worried about your hearing or you’re having difficulties with your balance (vestibular system).
We provide:
- hearing assessments (for adults aged under 55, or those with complex hearing losses).
- hearing aids
- tinnitus counselling
- balance assessments for problems that may be caused by an issue with organs in the ears
We also help with mixed or conductive hearing loss and asymmetric hearing loss.
Accessing our service
To access our service, you need to be over 18 and referred by a healthcare professional, such as your GP, unless you're an existing hearing aid patient of ours and still meet our referral criteria, in which case you can self-refer.
Babies, children, and young people under 18 can be referred to our paediatric service.
We’ll contact you by letter, phone, or email to book your hearing assessment, and we may then send you a short questionnaire by email. Please complete this before your appointment as it will help us understand your medical and ear history.
We don't offer a walk-in service, even for hearing aid repairs, so please only visit us if you have an appointment.
Our service is based at King Edward VII Hospital in Windsor, but we also run hearing clinics at:
Balance clinic appointments are only available in Windsor.
Preparing for an assessment
Your first appointment will take around 30 to 60 minutes. We’ll let you know when you book your appointment if you need to bring anything with you.
What happens during the appointment will depend on the reason for your referral.
If you've come for a hearing assessment, we’ll examine your ears, perform a hearing test, and create your personal treatment plan.
If you have tinnitus, we'll discuss the condition and offer advice to manage your symptoms.
During a balance assessment, we’ll ask about your medical history to better understand what is happening and plan the right treatment.
You’re welcome to bring a family member or friend with you to your appointment. Please let us know if you need an interpreter.
Based on what we find during your assessment, we may offer you a hearing aid or refer you to another specialist service.
You can contact us if you need further support after your first appointment, such as help understanding the results of your assessment, or if you want a second opinion.
Managing your health
Hearing aids and devices
If you're experiencing hearing loss, aids and devices can improve your ability to hear sounds in daily life. Don't worry if you’ve never used one before, as we offer fittings, repairs, and guidance on how to use and look after them.
Please note we are not a walk-in service - call or email to book an appointment about your hearing aid or device.
If you need new tubes or batteries, call or email us and we will post them out to you.
GN Resound Ambio hearing aid
The GN Resound Ambio hearing aid is one of the types of hearing aid that we provide. Videos and written information about managing the controls of your aid can be found on the Danalogic website:
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is a noise you may hear in one or both ears, or in your head, that doesn't exist externally around you. It’s commonly described as a ringing, buzzing, whistling, cracking, humming or rushing sound.
Tinnitus is not a disease. It can start suddenly or develop gradually over time. You may notice it more when you’re in a quiet room, trying to sleep, or stressed.
Tinnitus (Hearing and Balance)
File size: 210KB
Balance
The vestibular system is a part of your inner ear and it works with your other senses to keep your balance.
If your inner ear becomes damaged through age or a health condition, you may feel dizzy or like everything around you is moving or spinning. This is called vertigo.
If you’re experiencing vertigo, contact your GP and they may refer you to us.
These documents contain information about balance assessments, some of the types of tests we do, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which is a common cause of vertigo.
Your initial balance assessment (Hearing and Balance)
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Caloric testing (Hearing and Balance)
File size: 86KB
Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) test (Hearing and Balance)
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) (Hearing and Balance)
Your e-Health Passport
Your e-Health Passport lets us know what's important to you - from your preferred name and pronouns to how you'd like us to support you and communicate with you.
Learn moreContact us and FAQs
King Edward VII Hospital
Adult Audiology Service (Hearing and Balance)
Contact number: 0300 365 6222 (select option 2 if you have a letter asking you to book an appointment)
Email: hearingandbalance@berkshire.nhs.uk We are open 8am-4pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).
Post Address: SL4 3DP
Location detailsWexham Park Hospital
Adult Audiology Service (Hearing and Balance)
Contact number: 0300 365 6222 Option 2 to book an appointment.
Email: hearingandbalance@berkshire.nhs.uk Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm (excluding bank holidays).
Post Address: SL2 4HL
Location detailsSt Mark’s Hospital
Adult Audiology Service (Hearing and Balance)
Contact number: 0300 365 6222 Option 2 to book an appointment.
Email: hearingandbalance@berkshire.nhs.uk Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm (excluding bank holidays).
Post Address: SL6 6DU
Location detailsSkimped Hill Health Centre
Adult Audiology Service (Hearing and Balance)
Contact number: 0300 365 6222 Option 2 to book an appointment.
Email: hearingandbalance@berkshire.nhs.uk Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm (excluding bank holidays).
Post Address: RG12 1LH
Location detailsFrequently asked questions
Can you replace my hearing aid batteries?
We can send replacement batteries out by post. Leave us a voicemail or send an email to request replacement batteries for your hearing aid.
What should I do if I, or someone else, has swallowed a hearing aid battery?
Go straight to Accident and Emergency (A&E) as swallowing a battery can be very dangerous.
Always keep button batteries away from young children to prevent swallowing.
Do you offer drop-in hearing aid repair clinics?
We do not offer a drop-in or walk-in hearing aid repair service.
Please contact us to arrange an appointment if you need a hearing aid repair.
We can also help you with
Is there any information for friends, family and carers?
If you’re a family member/carer or you look after someone, there’s practical, financial, and emotional support available to you from a range of local communities and national organisations.
How do I request an interpreter?
We can provide language translation and interpretation support whenever you visit or contact us.
Tell our staff which language you prefer to use, and we will make sure the right communication support is in place for your assessment and treatment. Please let us know as early as possible so we can ensure the appropriate translation or interpreting support is available.
We offer a range of professional services to ensure everyone can understand and be understood:
- telephone interpreting
- video remote interpreting (VRI)
- face‑to‑face interpreting
- written translation
- British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting
How can I get information in an accessible format?
Anyone with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss has the right to receive information in a format that meets their needs. Under the Accessible Information Standard (AIS)—a legal requirement for all health and adult social care providers—we must ensure that people who use our services, including carers and families, can understand the information we provide and communicate effectively with us.
We can offer information in a range of accessible formats, including:
- British Sign Language (BSL)
- large print
- braille
- audio
- easy Read
- text message
- face‑to‑face support with a carer or advocate present
If you need information in any of these formats, please tell a member of our team and we will make sure your communication needs are met.
Are service dogs allowed to my appointment?
Yes. You are welcome to bring your registered service animal, such as a guide dog, hearing dog, medical alert dog, or other trained assistance dog to your appointment.
These animals are recognised as essential support and are permitted in most areas of our services.
To help us prepare, please let the team know before your appointment if you will be attending with a service animal. This allows us to make sure the environment is safe and comfortable for you, your animal, and other patients.
Please note that service animals may not be able to enter certain restricted clinical areas for safety or infection‑control reasons, but we will always work with you to find an appropriate alternative.
Treating our team with respect.
Respect is important.
We will be polite and kind and we expect that you treat our staff in the same way.
Abuse, hate and discrimination against our staff is unacceptable.
We will take strong action against anyone who is verbally, racially, physically, or sexually abusive to them.
This includes contacting the police to prosecute, and stopping future access to our healthcare services.
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