30 years of audiology at Ropewalk House
A celebration event was held this week to mark the 30th anniversary of audiology services at Ropewalk House.
Ropewalk House is one of Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH) three hospital sites and provides tests, support and treatment for people of all ages who have problems with their hearing or balance.
Before the refurbishment of Ropewalk House in 1994, audiology services used to be in a smaller building across the street in a building called Audiology House.
Anne Darby, who is a NUH audiology patient and a volunteer at the Nottingham Deaf Society was at the celebration event and said: “I moved to Nottingham 30 years ago and my first appointment was at the old hospital and the next one was here at Ropewalk, all brand new and sparkly with comfortable chairs.
“The change from analog to digital was massive and then learning there was even more improvement to come in terms of consistently having new models become available on the NHS.”
Shelia Margret Hague recently attended Ropewalk House for her first appointment to get her hearing tested and see whether she needed a hearing aid.
She said: “My husband has two hearing aids and has been coming to Ropewalk for quite some time. They’ve helped him a lot, so I know they’ll help me.”
Richard Nicholson, Clinical Lead for Adult Audiology, has worked for NUH in audiology since he was 18 years old. Richard said: “When I first started working in audiology nobody really knew what it was about, I had just left school and it sounded interesting, so I applied, got the job and have never looked back.
“The technological advancements in audiology services over the past three decades have made such a massive difference to patients. From cochlea implants taking off, to digital hearing aids, which were not even considered back then and now they are just mainstream and even have Bluetooth functionality.
“You can make such a difference to people’s lives through audiology, and the public awareness on the importance of hearing, and hearing aids has got so much better. For me it is all about the quality of life for patients and seeing them walking out with a big smile on their face, being able to hear.”
Jude Thompson, Advanced Audiologist, has worked in Ropewalk House for 23 years, starting as a trainee audiologist on 2 July 2001. She said: “Technology has kind of taken over in audiology now. I remember using old analog hearing aids where you had to get a screwdriver to adjust the settings and now it’s all Bluetooth ready and fully digital.
“I really enjoy my job, meeting patients and being able to help them. It is amazing what has changed over the years in terms of what we can offer to patients and distraction techniques for children.”
The event took place in the audiology reception area of Ropewalk House and was attended by patients, current and former staff, the Nottingham Deaf Society, the National Deaf Children’s, Society, and the British Academy of Audiology. Members of the NUH Executive Team also attended the event including Chief Executive Anthony May OBE DL, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Beaumont and Director of Communications Jack Adlam.
In his speech, Anthony said: “We’ve got a lot to be proud of at Ropewalk House and a lot has happened since 1994. We continue to break boundaries here with research and innovation and we want to continue that in the coming years.”
Martin Thacker M.B.E., East Midlands Regional Director for the National Deaf Children’s Society was also at the event and said: “We’ve had a close association with Ropewalk House since 2017; not only in relation to the current innovation but also in terms of the life changing opportunities the staff here have given to children.”