A busy waiting room, a name called from across a corridor, a doctor explaining something important while wearing a mask. Hospital appointments can be demanding for anyone, and if you wear hearing aids, there’s an extra question: how will you follow what’s said, especially if a test means taking your aids out?
A little planning goes a long way. Letting the hospital know what helps you communicate, getting your hearing aids ready, and agreeing what happens when they need to come out can take a lot of stress out of the day. This guide covers planned appointments and hospital stays. It doesn’t replace the hospital’s own instructions, which always come first for your test or procedure.
- Tell the department in advance how you communicate best, not just that you wear hearing aids.
- Check your aids a few days before, and pack the case, charger, or spare batteries together.
- If a test means removing your aids, agree how staff will give you instructions before they come out.
- Tell the team separately about any implanted hearing device, such as a cochlear implant.
- Before you leave, ask for important instructions in writing.
Tell the hospital what helps you hear
Contact the department before your appointment and explain what you need in practical terms. “I wear hearing aids” doesn’t tell someone whether you also rely on lipreading, written notes, or a British Sign Language interpreter. Be specific about what works for you.
You might ask staff to face you when they speak, to call you from the waiting room in person rather than over a speaker, and to give key instructions in writing. Make the request to the service arranging this appointment, even if another department already has a note of your needs. In England, NHS services are expected to follow the Accessible Information Standard, which covers recording and meeting people’s communication needs, so it’s reasonable to ask.
RNID’s page on access to health and social care includes a communication card you can show to new staff. It’s a handy prompt, although it doesn’t replace any support the hospital needs to arrange.
If someone’s coming with you, decide together how you’d like them to help. They might jot down notes or keep track of your hearing aid case. Staff should still speak to you directly and check what you’re happy to share. A companion shouldn’t automatically become your interpreter or make decisions for you.
Get your hearing aids ready
Wear your aids as normal for a few days beforehand, so there’s time to spot a problem and get help. Clean them and check they’re charging or have fresh batteries, following your usual routine. Try not to experiment with unfamiliar settings on the morning of the appointment, when you won’t have time to tell whether a change has helped.
Pack a small kit and keep it together in one bag:
- Your hearing aid case. A labelled, protective case is much easier to spot than a tissue or a pocket.
- Power. Bring your charger and cable, or spare batteries, depending on your aids.
- A short note. Write your hearing aid model and how to put the aids in and take them out, so someone can help if needed.
- Your questions. List the questions that matter most to you, with the most important at the top.
- A pen and paper. Staff can write down anything you miss, and so can you.
If you’re staying overnight, ask what electrical equipment you can use and how charging will work. Don’t assume there’ll be a socket within reach of the bed.
If your aids haven’t been working reliably, get in touch well before the appointment and mention the date. If you’re on one of our aftercare packages, ask about a check before your visit. Either way, it’s best to sort timings early rather than leave it to the last minute.
In the waiting room
At reception, remind staff how you’d like to be called. Waiting areas can be noisy and echoey, even with well-fitted hearing aids, so ask where it’s best to sit so staff can find you.
Ask whether a hearing loop is available, but don’t assume your aids are already set up to use it. If you’d like to try the loop setting or other listening options in advance, we can go through them with you as part of our hearing solutions support.
If a mask, glasses, or a hospital gown catches on your aids, find somewhere safe to sit and check them. Taking them out in a hurry while standing over a busy floor is how small devices go missing.
When your aids need to come out
Some scans and procedures have specific rules about hearing aids. Tell the clinical team about your aids and follow their instructions about when they need to be removed. Please don’t take them into an area unless the team has said it’s safe.
The NHS page on what happens during an MRI scan lists hearing aids among the items you may be asked to remove. If you have an implanted hearing device, such as a cochlear implant, tell the MRI team well in advance, because implants need their own safety check. Advice about ordinary removable aids doesn’t automatically apply to implants.
Before your aids come out, ask staff to explain what will happen, how they’ll give you instructions, and how you can get their attention. Repeat the plan back to make sure you’ve both understood. If you won’t be able to hear the planned instructions without your aids, say so before the procedure starts.
Ask where your aids will be kept and who’ll give them back. If staff look after the case, make sure it’s clearly linked to you. If your companion takes it, tell the team, so nobody thinks it’s in the ward’s storage. When they’re returned, check you’ve got both aids if you wear two, and that they’re working and comfortable.
Before you go home
A conversation can feel clear even when a detail has been missed. Ask for anything about medicines, follow-up appointments, or what to watch out for to be written down. If something sounds different from what you were told earlier, ask the team to check it.
Read the plan back in your own words and confirm who to contact, and how. If the only option offered is a phone number and calls are hard for you, ask what alternative the service provides, such as email or text. Keep the written plan with your appointment letter.
If you’re being discharged after a stay, ask someone to go through the discharge letter with you somewhere quiet, with your aids in and working. It’s also a good moment to check you’re leaving with everything you arrived with: both hearing aids, the case, the charger, and any spare batteries. Small items are easily left in a bedside locker when you’re packing in a hurry.
Questions about hearing aids and hospital visits
Should I leave my hearing aids at home for a scan?
No, bring them unless the hospital tells you otherwise. You’ll probably need them for conversations before and after the scan, even if they can’t be worn during it. Follow the appointment letter and ask the department if anything isn’t clear.
Can I use a speech-to-text app during a consultation?
Ask the clinician first, and check the hospital’s approach to using your own phone. These apps can get names and medical terms wrong, so they shouldn’t replace any support you need, and it’s worth checking important instructions with the person who gave them.
What if I’m admitted to hospital unexpectedly?
Tell staff about your hearing needs as soon as you can, or ask someone you trust to pass them on. If your aids are at home, a relative or friend may be able to bring them in with the case and charger. In the meantime, explain what helps, such as writing things down.
Why does a hospital visit leave me so tired?
Listening hard in a noisy, unfamiliar place takes real concentration. It’s fine to ask for a quieter room for important conversations, to have something repeated, or to take a short pause. Nodding along isn’t the same as understanding, so speak up if you’ve missed something.
What if my hearing changes suddenly?
If you’re already in hospital, tell the team straight away. Otherwise, the NHS advice on hearing loss is to ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 if you lose hearing suddenly, if it’s getting worse over days or weeks, or if you have hearing loss with earache or discharge.
Should I have a hearing check before a planned operation?
There’s no need unless someone has advised it. If you’ve noticed your hearing changing gradually, though, our hearing assessments can check where things stand, so you go into your hospital visit knowing your aids are set up for your current hearing.
Prepare for your visit with us
If you’d like help getting your hearing aids ready before a hospital appointment, contact Hear With Ish or call 07349 269037. We’re based in Leicester, and we’ll check your aids, talk through your routine, and help you feel prepared, with clear advice and no pressure.
