We are aware of recent concerns regarding the withdrawal of the Kingston & Richmond Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Audiology service from Dorking Hospital.
Kingston Hospital has advised that this change was due to technical issues preventing their clinical software from connecting at the Dorking site, meaning their patients are now required to travel a greater distance to Kingston to access this service.
We would like to stress that this Audiology service was run entirely by Kingston Hospital and is separate from the specialist Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) clinics operated by DHC Outpatients at Dorking Hospital. We would like to reassure our patients that the consultant-led ENT department at DHC Outpatients is running as normal and continues to be supported by Audiology.
We appreciate that the loss of this local Audiology service from Kingston Hospital is disappointing and inconvenient for many patients, particularly those with mobility or travel challenges.
Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB) is working with healthcare partners to explore options for restoring this local provision, and local MPs are actively advocating for a solution – which we fully support.
Alternative arrangements for patients under the care of Kingston Hospital Audiology:
- Patients can access routine hearing aid care and batteries at Specsavers in Leatherhead and Epsom.
- For complex enquiries about hearing aid care, please contact the Audiology Department at Kingston Hospital.
- Hearing aid batteries will only be issued at Dorking Hospital for NHS hearing aids provided by Kingston Hospital’s Audiology Department, to patients who are in possession of a hearing aid booklet or plastic card.
DHC Outpatients are committed to providing high-quality, accessible care and to ensuring clarity for patients on which services are provided at Dorking Hospital.
We are monitoring the situation closely and will update here when we know more.
