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Audiology - Royal North Shore Hospital

Level 3

Acute Services Building

Royal North Shore Hospital

Reserve Rd

St Leonards

2065

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Audiology - Royal North Shore Hospital

Contact us

General enquiries: 

  • Phone: (02) 9926 7080 
  • Email: NSLHD-Audiology@health.nsw.gov.au  

Referrals: 

  • Phone: (02) 9463 1400 
  • NSLHD-ACCReferrals@health.nsw.gov.au 
  • Fax: (02) 9463 1065 

 

Opening hours

Monday: 0900-1700 

Tuesday: 0900-1700 

Wednesday: 0900-1700 

Thursday: 0900-1700 

Friday: 0900-1700 

 

We regularly run concurrent clinics with ENT and Neurology, so you will be booked into the most appropriate date/times for your condition. 

 

 

 What we do

We provide diagnostic neuro-otology services for auditory and vestibular function assessments for the following symptoms:  

  • Hearing Loss
  • Vertigo
  • Dizziness
  • Unsteadiness

 What to bring

  • Relevant images/scans (CT or MRI scan of affected area) 
  • Relevant previous test results/reports e.g., from audiology, ENT, neurology, physiotherapy 
  • List of current medications  
  • The referral letter from your GP/Specialist  

 

Other key pieces of information for patients to consider:

  • Please refrain from taking any vertigo suppressants 8-hours prior to the appointment, which can interfere with the test results.  
  • Please refrain from wearing makeup, especially around the eyes, which interferes with eye movement tracking.  
  • Please refrain from eating food 2 hours prior to the appointment, as some tests may make you feel nauseas/sick.

 

 When to visit us

Your GP is always the first step in seeking treatment for any condition. You will be referred to our service if your treating doctor – GP or specialist – thinks that your diagnosis or treatment requires a close examination of the hearing and balance system. Once we receive the referral it will be reviewed by a nurse and audiologist then you will be notified of the outcome and next steps. Please allow at least 4 weeks for this process to be undertaken. We see patients face to face only, as required for accurate testing.  

  

Please note that phone calls from the hospital will appear as a blocked number. Please turn on voicemail to allow us to leave you a message.  

 

If you have a scheduled appointment you will receive a reminder text message. 

 

Please allow a full morning or afternoon for your appointment (2+ hours). Bear in mind that some appointments require an unexpectedly longer review, we may need to urgently review someone else prior, and other delays may occur.  

 How to visit us

Exit off Pacific Highway and the M1 will take you to the hospital on Reserve Road in St Leonards

Bus Route 114 stops directly at the hospital

The hospital is close to St Leonards train station

The hospital is a 5 minute walk from St Leonards Station

Street and multi storey car parking are available on the Royal North Shore hospital campus. Fees apply, so please check signage. Concession parking rates are available for patients and carers. Click here for more details.

The Audio-Vestibular Clinic is located at Check-in D

 

When you enter the hospital walk past the yellow lifts. The Ambulatory Care Centre will be on your right hand side between the orange and green lifts. Check-in D can be found by turning left after you pass the enquiries desk. 

 Referral information

Indications for referral for clinic appointment: 

 - Vestibular function testing required to investigate dizziness.
 - Complex hearing changes.
 - Sudden hearing changes not requiring review in ED.
 - Hearing testing for people who are at least 3 years old.
 - Chronic dizziness. 

 

The following conditions should be immediately referred to the Emergency Department
 - Sudden hearing loss.  
 - Dizziness where a serious diagnosis is suspected.

  

Exclusion criteria: 

 - Hearing screening in children.  Please refer to community hearing

 - Hearing aid assessment.  Please refer to Australian hearing or privately. 

 -  Assessment of children under 3.  Please refer to the Macquarie University Audiology Clinic, Hearing  Australia, Westmead Children's Hospital and Sydney Children's Hospital

  

Out of NSLHD: 

  • Reason must be stated explicitly  
  • Resident of other LHD that does not provide the clinical service 
  • Continuing care of existing condition already managed by NSLHD clinics  
  • Demonstrated complexity requiring services of NSLHD 
  • Compassionate circumstances, e.g. family, proximity, staff 

  

The following information must be included for referral to be accepted: 

  • Description of symptom(s) and onset, duration(s), and trigger(s).  
  • Previous relevant assessments or letters are often helpful.  

 

Providing more information will aid the triage process and make it more likely that your patient will be seen in the timeliest manner possible and the most appropriate test will be undertaken on the day.  

 

Please submit referrals using the eReferral system through HealthLink.  

 
Alternatively, address letters to either Audiology Department, Hans Satyan (for audiology specialist), or Dr Jacob Pogson (for vestibular specialist) and send to:  

  • Fax: (02) 9463 1065
  • Email: nslhd-accreferrals@health.nsw.gov.au  

 

Referrals will be triaged and your patient will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible. This process may take between 1-4 weeks. You will be contacted if more information is needed. 

 

Further information to assist referrers

  • Adults and children 3+ years:
    • For hearing assessments of children <3 years of age please refer to the Macquarie University Hearing Clinic, the RIDBC Jim Patrick Audiology Centre, or the Children’s Hospitals at Westmead, Randwick, or the John Hunter Hospital.  

 

  • Hearing loss:  
    • Unilateral and bilateral – in one or two ears  
    • Sensorineural and conductive – with or without blocked/fullness sensation or tinnitus (ringing/buzzing sound) 
    • Sudden and progressive – a sudden loss of hearing (over < 3 days) is a neurological emergency. Please present to the Emergency Department as soon as possible  

 

  • Vertigo (false sensation of spinning):  
    • Acute – a sudden onset of constant vertigo lasting hours is a neurologic emergency. Please present to the Emergency Department as soon as possible 
    • Episodic – occurring regularly from days to months apart  
    • Triggered – by sound, pressure, head position, etc.  

 

  • Dizziness:
    • Acute – a sudden onset of constant dizziness lasting hours is a neurologic emergency. Please present to the Emergency Department as soon as possible 
    • Chronic – last months to years 

 

  • Unsteadiness:  
    • Falling while walking 

 

  • Diagnostic equipment:
    • Pure Tone Audiometry  
    • Tympanometry and immittance  
    • Otoacoustic omissions (DPOAE, TEOAE)  
    • Video head impulse test (vHIT)  
    • Video-oculography (VOG)  
    • Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs)  
    • Caloric test  

 

An example list of conditions for diagnosis:  

  • Auditory: 
    • Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), with and without vertigo  
    • Otitis media (middle ear inflammation), with and without effusion (OME)  
    • Otosclerosis  
    • Presbyacusis (age-related hearing loss)  
    • Tympanic membrane perforations  
    • We do not provide hearing tests for insurance/compensation claims  

 

  • Vestibular: 
    • Meniere’s Disease (MD)  
    • Semicircular Canal Dehiscence (SCD)  
    • Vestibular neuritis (VN) 
    • Bilateral vestibular loss (BVL)  
    • Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)  
    • Vestibular Migraine (VM)  

 

  • We do not currently provide rehabilitation for vestibular/balance disorders, except for Benign Positional Vertigo (BPV). Please see your local vestibular physiotherapist or contact us for recommendations.  
  • We do not provide services for auditory rehabilitation e.g., hearing aids or cochlear implants. Please see Hearing Australia or other accredited audiologists.  
  • We do not provide treatment services for chronic tinnitus. Please refer to the Macquarie University Hearing Clinic.  

 Other information

Your Team 

  • Dr Jacob Pogson PhD MAud BA – Senior Audiologist (Thu-Fri) 
  • Mary-Ellan Tarrant – Head of Speech Pathology and Audiology 

 

 Related links

Professional societies:  

  • Audiology Australia 
  • The International Society of Audiology 
  • Neuro-Otology Society of Australia 
  • Barany Society  

 

Other organisations:  

  • Hearing Australia  
  • Macquarie University Hearing Hub 
  • Children’s Hospital Audiology  

 

Further information: 

  • Australian Tinnitus Association 
  • Meniere’s Australia