Audiology — Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay Hospital

• phone: 06 878 1375
• phone (mobile): 027 249 9780
• fax: 06 878 1362

Napier Health

• phone: 06 834 1815
• fax: 06 834 1816

Wairoa Health

• phone: 06 838 7099

Hastings

• Hawke's Bay Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital
• Villa 5
• 398 Omahu Road
• Camberley
• Hastings 4120

Napier

• Napier Health
• 76 Wellesley Road
• Napier 4110

Wairoa

• Wairoa Health
• 36 Kitchener Street
• Wairoa 4108

We provide hearing assessments for adults, children and newborns in Hawke's Bay. If you are a New Zealand resident, you can be referred for a hearing test.

Hearing aids for adults

There is a cost associated to receiving a hearing aid. The amount depends on the type of hearing aid — it can vary from $300 to $2000. There are subsidies available to help with this cost. Subsidy information is available at your appointment.

Once a hearing aid has been ordered, you will have an appointment scheduled about a month for fitting of the hearing aid.

You need to pay for the hearing aid before you can use it on a 2-week trial. After that you can come back in to discuss how it is working for you.

Hearing tests for children

Often, only 1 appointment is needed for tamariki but further appointments may be needed to get additional information or to check hearing has improved since the the initial test. There is no cost for these appointments.

Newborn hearing screening

All newborn babies are eligible for a free newborn hearing screen.

If your pēpi is born at Ata Rangi, Waioha or Wairoa, a newborn hearing screening provider will visit you on the ward and offer the service. If you accept, there is a good chance it can be carried out while you are in the ward. If this does not happen or your pēpi is born at home, you will be offered an outpatient appointment at locations in Central Hawke's Bay, Havelock North or Wairoa.

The screening test is done while your pēpi sleeps, is settled or while feeding. The results will be discussed with you after the test is completed.

Newborn hearing screening services

If you are a New Zealand resident, you can be referred for a hearing test. You or your tamaiti need to be referred by your healthcare provider or other healthcare professional such as a:

• vision or hearing tester
• public health nurse
• social worker
• Plunket nurse
• Well Child provider
• school.

Referrals are prioritised to make sure people most in need of a hearing test are seen first.

Once the referral is accepted you will receive an appointment card 2 weeks before the appointment with directions how to get there on the back. We will send a reminder 2 days before your appointment by text message or a phone call.

Due to the demand for hearing services, there may be a delay from the date of your referral to your appointment of:

• 3 to 6 months for tamaiti
• 3 to 9 months for adults.

When you come for your hearing test, the receptionist will:

• greet you and ask if your contact details are current and correct
• ask you to take a seat you in the waiting room until your appointment time

Appointments usually take about 30 minutes but may take longer if more tests are needed. Generally, appointments run on time.

After the initial hearing assessment, you may need a follow up appointment and a more detailed test.