Contact
Hearing Support Service and Audiology: (02) 9382 2274
SWISH manager: (02) 9382 1462
Email: SCHN-SCH-AudiologyRandwick@health.nsw.gov.au
Location: Level 3, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick (enter via the Children’s Hospital main entrance on High St)
About our service
Our Audiology and Hearing Support teams provides a full range of diagnostic services as well as care for children and babies who have been recently diagnosed with a hearing loss.
Our clinics and services include:
- Audiology clinic
- Hearing Support Service clinic
- Statewide Infant Sceening Hearing (SWISH)
Staff can assist by providing counselling information for patients with hearing difficulties, including rehabilitation options and referral to appropriate services.
Clinic information
Audiology clinic
The audiology clinic offers a full range of diagnostic services including behavioural and electrophysiological tests for children of all ages and developmental levels.
Electrophysiological tests can be offered in natural sleep or with general anaesthesia if appropriate.
We are a team of paediatric audiology experts providing services to children as well as adult patients referred from Prince of Wales Hospital.
Staff can assist by providing counselling information for patients with hearing difficulties, including rehabilitation options and referral to appropriate services.
- Clinic hours: Monday to Friday 8am-4:30pm
- Phone: (02) 9382 2274
- Email: SCHN-SCH-AudiologyRandwick@health.nsw.gov.au
- Location: Audiology department, level 3, Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick (High Street end of campus)
Hearing Support Service
The Hearing Support Service (HSS) sees babies who have a recent diagnosis of a permanent hearing loss following SWISH referral to Audiology.
Older children with a newly identified hearing loss will be referred directly to an ENT specialist, and some may be referred to the Deafness Centre at the Children's Hospital Westmead.
We provide:
- consultation with multidisciplinary staff including a Developmental Paediatrician, Genetic Counsellor, Audiologist and Social Worker
- support for families of newly diagnosed children and their associated health care workers
- timely access to a variety of experts in the one location
- information and discussion about possible causes of hearing loss and available investigations
- information about various intervention strategies and early intervention providers
- assistance with referral to other specialists including ENT specialists, Ophthalmologists and Geneticists
- family audiograms.
Services also include support to inpatient services with review of some ENT patients, and pre-operative work ups on patients being prepared for Cochlear Implant surgery at the Shepherd Centre.
Clinic aims:
The aim of the clinic is to identify causes of the child’s deafness, arranging further investigations and to initiate early intervention and follow-up. An assessment is undertaken, a diagnosis made and a treatment plan developed. Children and their families usually attend for one appointment only and follow-up is handed over to local family doctors and paediatricians.
- Phone: (02) 9382 2274
- Location: Audiology department, level 3, Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick (High Street end of campus)
Social work:
A team social worker provides emotional and practical support to families following the diagnosis of a hearing loss.
Topics you can discuss with the social worker:
- adjustment to the diagnosis of your child's hearing loss
- feelings of grief and loss
- financial or other practical details that may impact on your ability to manage your child's hearing loss
- appropriate interventions to your family's particular circumstances
- other concerns that may impact on your ability to cope.
Contact social work: (02) 9382 1021
Statewide Infant Screening Hearing (SWISH)
Every newborn in NSW is offered a SWISH hearing screen after birth under the NSW State Wide Infant Screening Hearing Program (SWISH) . The service aims to identify all infants born with suspected hearing loss and introduce them to appropriate services as soon as possible.
Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, manages the SWISH outreach hearing screening service in the maternity units of the following hospitals:
- Royal Hospital for Women
- Prince of Wales Private Hospital
- St George Public Hospital
- St George Private Hospital
- The Sutherland Hospital
- Kareena Private Hospital
- Hurstville Private Hospital
If required, a repeat hearing screen may be done before the baby leaves the hospital. If the repeat hearing screen does not show a clear result, an audiologist will refer your baby to a diagnostic hearing assessment.
The SWISH manager arranges the referral in consultation with parents, doctors, midwifery staff and the audiology department.
Contact SWISH manager: (02) 9382 1462
Referral process for clinicians
Our department is using Consultmed to manage referrals. The Consultmed platform allows health professionals to send e-referrals to us securely.
Referrals to Hearning Support Service are made by the diagnostic Audiologist. For Audiology, referrals are made through Consultmed.
Consultmed questions and technical support: helpdesk@consultmed.co
Referral and appointment process for parents and carers
Request a referral
To make an appointment at our Audiology clinic, you will need a referral from your GP, paediatrician or specialist.
They will assess your child, discuss your concerns, and make a referral to the appropriate service.
Babies who have a refer result on the NSW State-wide Infant Screening - Hearing Program (SWISH) and a permanent hearing loss on diagnostic assessment, are referred by the audiologist for review at the HSS clinic.
Track your referral
Our department uses Consultmed to manage referrals. Your referring clinician sends the e-referral to us using the secure Consultmed platform.
Your referral will be triaged and a letter sent to you with the appointment date and time. If you need to change the appointment you can contact the Audiology clinic.
If your clinician has questions about Consultmed or require technical support, they can contact helpdesk@consultmed.co.
Need support?
If you need help or have questions about the referral and appointment process, please contact us.
Audiology: (02) 9382 2274
Hearing tests
Watch the video to find out about hearing tests at our Audiology clinic.
Diagnostic Hearing Tests
This test is an in depth assessment of your baby’s hearing in both ears. The assessment is done by an Audiologist while the baby is asleep.
Your baby needs to be hungry and tired on arrival to the clinic. Your baby can be fed here so they can fall asleep and be tested straight away. To obtain accurate results, your baby needs to be asleep for the entire test.
Be prepared for a long appointment. Testing time will depend on how quickly and how well your baby sleeps and can take up to three hours.
Only two adults are allowed to attend, please do not bring any siblings. This will allow you to stay in the room with your baby and have a quiet environment for the testing.
If you need to change the appointment, please contact the Audiology Department as soon as possible.
