Service overview
Hearing is important for a child’s language and social development, and their ability to understand the world around them.
Hearing problems might not always be obvious, and their hearing may change depending on their environment.
We provide hearing (audiological) assessment and care for all children, from newborn to school-leaving age, across East Berkshire.
We also provide care for children:
- living with complex and multiple disabilities
- who might be difficult to assess
- who might be at increased risk of developing a permanent hearing impairment
We work closely with services including Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Consultants, Teachers of the Deaf, Specialist Speech and Language Therapists (SLT), Paediatricians, and Social Services.
Accessing our service
We're only available if you have a booked appointment. This includes hearing aid repairs.
We’ll contact you by letter, phone, or email if you’re waiting for a hearing assessment for your child.
Many of our appointments are at King Edward VII Hospital in Windsor and St Mark’s Hospital in Maidenhead.
Although more routine appointments will be booked at Upton Hospital in Slough, and Skimped Hill Health Centre in Bracknell.
Preparing for an assessment
We’ll arrange your first appointment from your referral, and send you a letter to confirm. This appointment will usually be booked for 30 minutes, or 90 minutes for newborn babies.
You can contact us if you need further support after your appointment.
We can also explain test results if you're not sure what they mean, or if you want a second opinion either from us about anything we have found, or another opinion from a different clinic.
Hearing tests
We can test your child's hearing levels and find any hearing difficulties early. Hearing tests can vary depending on the age and stage of development of your child.
- under six months old: it’s usually best if your child is asleep during the test, as they are usually too young to show reliable responses to the sounds that they hear
- over six months old: most children are usually able to look for sounds, so we can teach them to listen for a sound and earn a visual reward
- around three years old and over: we teach them to play games which involve responding when they hear a noise
We’ll offer the right test based on their development stage and the information you as the parent provide us.
Some tests might need to be done over a few sessions so we can get as much information as possible, but we'll discuss this with you.
Glue ear
Some children experience temporary hearing loss caused by congestion behind the ear drum, which is known as glue ear. At your appointment we’ll talk with you about the impact this may have on your child and how best to manage it.
Permanent hearing loss
If our tests show that your child has a permanent hearing loss, we’ll discuss the right audiological/hearing aid support and rehabilitation for your child.
We’ll also guide you to other services that may be able to help.
Managing your health
Hearing aids
We specialise in testing and fitting hearing aids for temporary and permanent hearing loss, for babies and young children of all ages.
We follow best practice guidance based on research, government and NDCS guidelines.
We’re also involved with the Newborn Hearing Screening program and can fit appropriate hearing aids to babies as young as two or three months old.
We offer the latest modern digital hearing aids and hearing aid batteries, which are available in different colours and are provided free on the NHS.
NHS hearing aids and implants
Visit the NHS website for help on hearing loss, details about hearing aids and aftercare, and specialist assessments and guidance on implants.
National Deaf Children's Society
Explore the National Deaf Children's Society resources on hearing aids and implants including behind-the-ear aids, cochlear, and brainstem implants.
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
Paediatric Audiology
Contact number: 0300 365 6222 Option 1 for hearing aid repairs. Option 2 to book an appointment.
Email: hearingandbalance@berkshire.nhs.uk Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm (excluding bank holidays).
Postcode: SL4 3DP
Location detailsSt Mark’s Hospital
Paediatric Audiology
Contact number: 0300 365 6222 Option 1 for hearing aid repairs. Option 2 to book an appointment.
Email: hearingandbalance@berkshire.nhs.uk Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm (excluding bank holidays).
Postcode: SL6 6DU
Location detailsSkimped Hill Health Centre
Paediatric Audiology
Contact number: 0300 365 6222 Option 1 for hearing aid repairs. Option 2 to book an appointment.
Email: hearingandbalance@berkshire.nhs.uk Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm (excluding bank holidays).
Postcode: RG12 1LH
Location detailsFir Tree House at Upton Hospital
Paediatric Audiology
Contact number: 0300 365 6222 Option 1 for hearing aid repairs. Option 2 to book an appointment.
Email: hearingandbalance@berkshire.nhs.uk Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm (excluding bank holidays).
Postcode: SL1 2BJ
Location detailsHow do I get replacement hearing aid batteries?
You can contact us by email or calling, and we will send your replacement batteries in the post.
What should I do if my child has swallowed a hearing aid battery?
If someone you know has swallowed a button battery, they should go straight to accident & emergency department (A&E).
Always keep button batteries away from young children.
Do you offer drop in hearing aid repair clinics?
Unfortunately, we do not offer any drop-in hearing aid repair appointments. To arrange a hearing aid repair, contact us on 0300 365 6222 or email hearingaidrepairs@berkshire.nhs.uk.
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 from a range of local communities and national organisations.
How do I request an interpreter?
We can provide language translation and interpretation support.
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 get information in a format that meets their needs.
The Accessible Information Standard (AIS) is a legal requirement for all health and adult social care providers. This means making sure that people who use our services, including carers and families, can understand our information and communicate with us easily.
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.
What does it mean to treat 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 may include contacting the police to prosecute, and stopping future access to our healthcare services.
How do I find my NHS number?
The easiest way to find your NHS number is using the official NHS online service which can be accessed below.
You may also want to read our guidance page for more information about other ways to find your NHS number or what to do if you cannot find yours.
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