The new Paediatric Audiology Outpatients Department at the Horton General Hospital has been officially opened.
The department was opened by 12-year-old patient Antony, alongside Chair of Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) Sir Andrew Morris, Jamie French from the Horton Hospitals Charity, and Head of Audiology Rachel Humphriss.
Children and young people in Banbury and north Oxfordshire are now able to access specialist hearing assessments closer to home, thanks to the creation of this new paediatric audiology room, funded by NHS England and Oxford Hospitals Charity at the Horton General Hospital at a cost of over £300,000.
The new facility provides a dedicated, fit-for-purpose environment for paediatric audiology services. It includes a soundproof room with specialist equipment, enabling clinicians to carry out a range of hearing assessments for children.
The room has been created from a former meeting room, and the building work involved reinforcing the floor in order to install the modular soundproof booth which weighs six tonnes.
The new facility means that children and their parents from north Oxfordshire have an alternative to travelling to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for specialist audiology appointments, also relieving pressure on the paediatric audiology department there. The Paediatric Audiology Team work across both departments.
Sir Andrew Morris, Chair of OUH, said: “This new unit supports the NHS Long Term Plan's commitment to delivering care closer to home, ensuring patients can access high-quality services in locations that are convenient for them whenever possible.”
Rachel Humphriss, Clinical Scientist and Head of Audiology at OUH, said: "We are so pleased to be in this fantastic new space which is so much better for our young audiology patients in Banbury and the surrounding areas. This purpose-built facility means that they can attend their appointments much closer to home, while having the benefits of specialist equipment and facilities.”