Audiology Practitioner / Audiologist

NHS; Bolton; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Bolton is seeking an Audiology Practitioner to contribute to a comprehensive Audiology Service. The role involves conducting assessments, fitting hearing aids, and maintaining professional standards. Applicants must hold a BSc in Audiology and be registered with the relevant professional body. This permanent position offers a salary range of £31,049 to £37,796 per annum and requires excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a team.

Qualifications

• State Registered Audiologist with the ability to set up and maintain NHS hearing aids.
• Experience of mentoring and training professionals.
• Practical Assessor for professional body or accredited clinical educator.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive audiology services and assist the Audiology Manager.
• Conduct diagnostic assessments and hearing aid evaluations.
• Participate in service development and maintain clinical standards.

Skills

Excellent written and oral communication

Ability to prioritise work schedule

Team player

Knowledge of diverse populations

Education

BSc in Audiology (or equivalent)

Registration with RCCP or HCPC or AHCS

Job description

Job Summary

A practicing healthcare practitioner, who contributes towards provision of a comprehensive Audiology Service. Assists the Audiology Manager in the daily clinical work of the department and is responsible for managing their own workload without direct supervision.

In addition to audiological assessment, hearing aid fitting and re‑evaluation clinics, adult audiology provide specialist vestibular clinics and a hearing therapy service. We work closely with our colleagues in ENT and Paediatric Audiology.

Applicants must have the ability to prioritise their time and work schedule effectively, be flexible, have excellent written and oral communication, ability to meet deadlines and be a team player within a multidisciplinary team, with a knowledge and acceptance of diverse populations.

The Audiology Practitioner must be registered with the AHCS.

Job Details

Date posted: 18 December 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 5

Salary: £31,049 to £37,796 a year per annum

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full‑time

Reference number: 435‑S183‑25

Job locations: Across East Lancashire Sites, Haslingden Road, BB2 3HH

Responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

A practicing healthcare practitioner, who contributes towards provision of a comprehensive Audiology Service. Assists the Audiology Manager in the daily clinical work of the department and is responsible for managing their own workload without direct supervision. This involves basic rehabilitative care, diagnostic assessments of hearing, and care for adult hearing aid users, children over 5 years of age, and their carers/relatives. Demonstrates effective communication and interpersonal skills with other professionals and service users, including patients, carers and relatives. Takes part in contributing to service development and maintains professional standards. Maintains patient and departmental records both written and electronic using computer databases and word processing. Provides clinical assessments and hearing aid programming and provision using complex computer software and specific specialised hardware. Assists in one or more of the specialist areas of Audiology service provision. The Audiology Practitioner must be registered with the RCCP.

MAIN DUTIES

1. Assists the Audiology Manager in the provision of specific clinical work on a daily basis, ensuring an efficient and effective service within clinical governance guidelines. Follows professional standards and protocols without direct supervision. Contact with clients within hospital clinical settings, community clinical settings, patients’ own home and nursing homes on domiciliary visits.

2. To perform and analyse diagnostic assessments of hearing on adults and children over 5 years of age. Using air conduction headphones and bone conduction vibrator to obtain accurate hearing threshold levels using masking where appropriate, and following BSA guidelines. Instructing the patient on what is required of them to perform the test including the use of tact and persuasion where barriers to understanding exist. Perform middle ear analysis using tympanometry, including probe microphone insertion to determine the function of the middle ear. Perform examination of the ear using clinical otoscope in order to identify healthy and abnormal ear conditions. Recognising contraindications to performing further procedures and appropriate referral to other professionals (ENT, GP, Specialist ENT Nurse) for management where required.

3. Selection, Verification and Programming (subjective and objective) of hearing aids: Using assessment results to select and programme appropriate hearing aids using specific computer software and hardware tools. Assess patients’ individual, physical abilities and social needs in choice of aid and programmes. Verify the hearing aid programming using subjective (free‑field and verbal assessment) and objective Real‑Ear Measurement techniques involving insertion of probe tube microphone into the ear canal. Making adjustments to prescription of hearing aid as appropriate.

4. Rehabilitation and counselling: Instructing patient on effective use of aid, communicating realistic expectations, advice on the disabling effects of hearing loss. Using basic directive counselling and empathic skills to empower the patient in their rehabilitation and management of hearing loss. Formulating individualised care plans. Using effective communication and persuasion where a poor motivational attitude to hearing loss may exist and barriers to understanding and communication may include hearing loss, visual impairment (including deaf‑blind clients), dementia and stroke patients with aphasia.

5. Audit and outcome measures: Audit the benefit of hearing aid use and patient satisfaction using nationally recognised benefit profiles and questionnaires. Input the information into software packages. Using the outcome measures for further rehabilitation measures.

6. To participate in the open‑access hearing aid repair sessions. Dealing with maintenance and replacement of faulty hearing aids, supply of batteries, re‑tubing of earmoulds. Dealing with queries and problems presented by patients and carer and referring them to the appropriate professional if required. Providing this service to inpatients on wards and at outside clinics where transport of equipment to carry out these duties is required. Occasionally this will require working in less than ideal conditions.

7. Modification of earmoulds for patients using appropriate equipment (with training) including dental drill, buffer/grinder and safety equipment, to ensure comfortable and acoustically viable fit. For adults and children over 5 years with all types of hearing aid, requiring skill, dexterity and judgement when working to finer tolerances.

8. To take accurate and safe impressions of the ear: On adults and children over 5 years of age. Taking impression of the ear following professional recommended procedures (BSA) by placing foam otostop into ear canal, then syringing impression material into the canal to form an accurate impression for processing by the earmould manufacturer. Determine the type, material and any modifications required for earmoulds, swim moulds and other types of earpiece required (e.g. ear defenders).

9. Assist in one or more of the following specialist areas: Vestibular clinics; assessment of balance disorders using computer specific software and hardware to inform of vestibular function. Includes Electronystagmography and caloric irrigation of the ears using water. Group instruction sessions: provides rehabilitation and instruction of aid use to groups of up to 8 patients attending with carers/relatives. Supervision and training of Assistant Audiology Practitioners, clinical placement students and work experience students.

10. Demonstrating effective interpersonal skills when dealing with staff, patients, relatives and the public in person, on the telephone and in writing.

11. Administrative duties will include: Maintenance of accurate and efficient patient records both paper and computer databases. Records clinical test results and observations onto electronic patient database and hospital patient management system. Assist in maintaining accurate and efficient records of all technical services, including computer databases and stock control functions.

Person Specification

• BSc in Audiology (or equivalent) State Registered Audiologist (RCCP or HCPC or AHCS)
• Ability to appropriately set‑up, fit, evaluate and maintain the full range of NHS hearing aids.
• Excellent communication skills to enable building good rapports with colleagues and patients.
• Clear oral and written communication skills
• Ability to write in‑depth reports and correspondence to Consultants, GPs and other professionals
• Excellent team working skills
• Ability to work flexible hours.
• Access to transport for work purposes.

• Practical Assessor for professional body or accredited clinical educator.
• Post qualification experience working in an NHS setting (or equivalent).
• Experience of mentoring, lecturing, training and supervising a wide scope of professionals.
• Experience of audit.
• An understanding of the underlying principles of a wide range of complex investigations including some non‑audiological investigations.
• Full understanding of the effects of and relative benefits of the management options for hearing‑impacted, vestibular and tinnitus patients.
• Knowledge of ELHT, NHS and local networks, referral routes and policies.
• Ability to deliver work to an agreed timescale and meet tight deadlines.
• Evidence of continual development and enthusiasm to learn.
• Motivated by and committed to patient care.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offences Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here: Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer Details

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

Address: Across East Lancashire Sites, Haslingden Road, BB2 3HH

Website: http://jobs.elht.nhs.uk/