Audiology — Nelson Marlborough
Audiologists study, identify, assess and manage hearing disorders and disorders of the balance system in babies, children and adults. Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand Nelson Marlborough runs outpatient audiology clinics from its main hospital sites.
Contact us
Nelson Hospital
Phone: 03 546 1780
Email: audiology@nmdhb.govt.nz
Wairau Hospital
Phone: 03 520 6366
Email: audiology@nmdhb.govt.nz
Where to find us
Nelson Hospital
Audiology
Outpatient Department, Level 2
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm (excluding public holidays)
Wairau Hospital
Audiology
Outpatient Department
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm (excluding public holidays)
Services we provide
Audiologists assess and manage hearing and listening disorders, and help to rehabilitate people with hearing loss. We test for hearing and measure the type and degree of any hearing loss.
Audiologists work closely with:
- ear, nose and throat specialists
- paediatricians
- Ministry of Education specialists
- hearing screeners.
Our eligibility criteria make hearing tests available for:
- tamariki and rangatahi up to the age of 21 (provided they are full-time students)
- Community Services Card holders
- adults referred by a hospital specialist.
People outside of these criteria will need to be assessed at a private clinic.
Hearing assessments may include:
- conventional audiometry
- auditory brainstem response
- visual reinforcement audiometry
- play audiometry
- distortion product otoacoustic emissions
- acoustic immittance testing
- auditory processing disorder assessments.
Children
Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand provides free hearing aids and related services for tamariki and rangatahi (up to the age of 21 who are full-time students).
There is no significant wait list for children's hearing aids because hearing is essential to early speech, language and social development.
Adults
To be eligible for free hearing aids via the public service, adults must hold a current Community Services Card and either:
- qualify for Disability Support Services, or
- have a moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss (defined as an average hearing loss of ≥ 56 dB across the 3 worst thresholds from 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz in the better ear).
There may be a waiting list for adults and this can exceed 2 years unless there are significant safety concerns.
Deaf or hearing loss equipment for adults — Disability Support Services (external link)
Referral information
Referrals are accepted from:
- healthcare providers such as GPs
- ear, nose and throat specialists
- paediatricians
- Plunket nurses
- speech-language therapists
- newborn hearing screeners
- vision and hearing screeners.
Referrals are prioritised based on the information we receive.