We Caught Up with the Founder of The Yorkshire Hearing Clinic
The Yorkshire Hearing Clinic has launched a new high-tech Harrogate clinic
Why did you start The Yorkshire Hearing Clinic?
I love helping people. Since qualifying in 2008 I have always put my patient’s needs first, but in my previous role at a high street provider I witnessed a shift away from the patient focus and more towards the ‘bottom line’. For me, it should be about the patient outcome, not the income. I am passionate about the huge impact improved hearing brings to people’s quality of life and it is my belief that a focus on the patient leads to the best result… happy patients!
What services do you offer?
We offer all aspects of hearing healthcare, from full diagnostic hearing assessments and bespoke hearing aid provision to hearing protection. Our existing patients benefit from annual hearing health checks and interim servicing every six months. It is vital hearing health is monitored and hearing aids are adjusted when necessary to compensate for any deterioration. We have also extended this offering to patients who have purchased their devices elsewhere but are looking for a better level of care.
Ear wax removal is one of our most popular services where we use microsuction, specialised instruments or irrigation to safely and gently remove those common blockages. We are adding endoscope technology to our ear wax removal service in the New Year, which offers each patient the opportunity to watch their procedure live in real-time – we can even email them a recording!
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What can people expect when they visit you?
A warm welcome and expert care and attention. Since opening our doors two years ago we have helped more than 3,000 patients with a variety of complaints get the most from their hearing. We are a family-run clinic and as such we base our practice on our own family values of respect, honesty and trust.
Why is it important for people to get their hearing checked?
Even mild hearing loss can have a detrimental effect on our daily lives and should never be underestimated. Our hearing is vital to our safety and something as simple as crossing a road can prove dangerous if we are unaware of a car approaching. But also, our hearing health is essential to our wellbeing. Hearing enhances our quality of life, be it listening to music, conversing with a loved one, or simply listening to the birds and the wind through the trees. Hearing loss also has an impact on our mental health. In fact, in recent years research has shown a connection between unassisted hearing loss and cognitive decline and dementia.
What makes you different from other hearing clinics?
I think it’s our patient-centric approach. For example, when a patient approaches us for a hearing test, we conduct a thorough two-hour hearing assessment where we take our patients on a journey through their own ears. We examine all three sections of the ear in detail to obtain an accurate diagnosis before we present the results in a simple, easy to understand format.
For those patients who would benefit from hearing aids, we insist upon a completely free trial of their chosen hearing aid technology over a two-week period. We carefully work with each patient to select the most appropriate technology for both their lifestyle and hearing loss before designing a bespoke rehab program to guide them on their journey back to better hearing. We continually adapt our approach based on the patient’s feedback which is key as ultimately it’s only their opinion that matters where improvements to their quality of life are concerned.
