Borders Ref Help Toolkit
Who to refer:
Patients who present with hearing loss – Please note children under 5 years of age will be seen in NHS Lothian Paediatric Audiology services.
If hearing loss is the primary complaint, but bilateral tinnitus also present, the referral should be through the hearing loss pathway with tinnitus mentioned alongside in the referral.
Who not to refer:
Any patient presenting with any clinical red flags listed below
Reassessment in those with hearing aids
If a patient already has a hearing aid, they do not need a GP referral to be seen again by the service for any hearing aid or hearing-related issues. They can contact the Audiology department directly on 01896 826531.
Patients with the following red flags should be referred directly to ENT
- Recurrent infections
- discharging perforations/ discharging mastoid cavities/ abnormal appearance of drum
- Polyps, possible foreign bodies
- Persistent ear pain
- Pulsatile tinnitus
- Sudden hearing loss or sudden deterioration
- Vertigo/unsteadiness not consistent with age or existing pathologies
- Conductive hearing loss
How to refer:
Please refer using SCI Gateway to NHS Borders Audiology Department:
Borders General Hospital -> Audiology -> Borders General Referral