Concierge ENT and audiology · London
Hearing and balance testing, integrated audiology-plus-vestibular workup for hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness.
Hearing and balance tested together in one visit. The battery includes audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflex, otoscopy, Dix-Hallpike, video head impulse, and dynamic visual acuity. It is the standard workup for hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness.
Why patients choose us
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The right hands
We route you to a consultant ENT surgeon and an accredited clinical audiologist — the pair who run the test decide the answer.
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Same-day results
Audiology and vestibular findings are usually discussed on the day, with a written report to follow.
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Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation is impartial and costs you nothing.
Key facts
What hearing and balance testing is, in six lines.
A quick orientation before the detail — what the battery includes, how quickly you get answers, and where it sits alongside imaging.
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Definition
Hearing and balance tested together in a single visit.
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Bundled battery
Audiology and vestibular tests run together, not in isolation.
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Same-day results
Findings usually discussed immediately, with the written report to follow.
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Complements MRI IAM
For asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss, MRI internal auditory meatus follows on.
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Guides vestibular rehab plan
The battery shapes a targeted vestibular rehabilitation programme.
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Multi-disciplinary
Consultant ENT and accredited audiologist review together.
What happens
From consultation to report — what happens, in order.
One integrated visit: ENT consultation, the audiology and vestibular battery, then a written report and rehabilitation plan.
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Before
ENT / vertigo consultation
A short, confidential form. Symptoms, hearing history, dizziness pattern, referral or insurer if you have them.
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On the day
Otoscopy and history
Consultant ENT reviews your history and examines the ear canals and drums.
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On the day
Audiometry + tympanometry
Pure-tone audiometry maps the hearing thresholds; tympanometry assesses middle-ear function.
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On the day
Acoustic reflex threshold
Stapedial reflex testing helps localise the level of hearing loss.
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On the day
Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre
Positional testing to diagnose benign paroxysmal positional vertigo of the posterior canal.
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On the day
Video head impulse test + DVA
vHIT and dynamic visual acuity quantify vestibulo-ocular reflex function.
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After
Written report and rehab plan
A structured report with a targeted rehabilitation plan and onward pathway if needed.
What it shows
When hearing and balance testing is the right battery.
The bundled battery answers a specific set of questions about the inner ear — hearing, middle-ear function, and vestibular reflex integrity.
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Sensorineural or conductive hearing loss
Audiometry with tympanometry distinguishes cochlear from middle-ear pathology.
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Otitis media with effusion
Tympanometry detects middle-ear fluid and eustachian tube dysfunction.
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BPPV (posterior canal)
Dix-Hallpike identifies benign paroxysmal positional vertigo of the posterior canal.
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Unilateral vestibular hypofunction
vHIT and dynamic visual acuity localise one-sided vestibular loss.
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Bilateral vestibulopathy
Detects reduced vestibulo-ocular reflex on both sides — a distinct rehab pathway.
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Vestibular migraine features
Pattern of dizziness, audiometry and reflex findings help support a vestibular-migraine diagnosis.
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Retrocochlear findings
Acoustic-reflex decay and asymmetric thresholds raise suspicion of retrocochlear pathology.
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Red flag: asymmetric SNHL — MRI IAM to exclude vestibular schwannoma
Asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss warrants MRI internal auditory meatus.
Next steps
What follows the report.
The battery guides a targeted plan — amplification, rehab, medication or onward imaging, matched to the findings.
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Hearing-aid trial
A trial of appropriately programmed hearing aids where audiometry supports amplification.
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Cochlear implant assessment
Referral for cochlear implant candidacy when hearing aids are insufficient.
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Middle-ear surgery (grommets, myringoplasty)
Surgical options for persistent middle-ear effusion or a perforated tympanic membrane.
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Vestibular rehabilitation
Targeted exercises with a vestibular physiotherapist based on the battery findings.
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Epley for BPPV
Canalith-repositioning manoeuvre for posterior-canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
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Anti-migraine therapy for vestibular migraine
Lifestyle measures and, where indicated, prophylactic medication.
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MRI IAM for asymmetric loss
MRI internal auditory meatus to exclude vestibular schwannoma when asymmetry is confirmed.
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Structured ENT follow-up
Planned review with the consultant ENT team to track progress and adjust care.
Red flags
When the battery raises a red flag.
Findings that change the pathway — from urgent imaging to specialist follow-up.
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Asymmetric SNHL
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Sudden SNHL
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Central positional nystagmus
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Persistent bilateral vestibulopathy
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Post-cerebellar stroke
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Vestibular schwannoma
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Autoimmune inner-ear disease
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Ototoxic drug injury
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Post-COVID vestibular decline
Sources
The guidance we work from.
Peer-reviewed and professional-society guidance underpinning the battery and its interpretation.
Last reviewed 2026-07-30. Next review 2027-07-30. Reading time ~6 minutes.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about hearing and balance testing.
Quick answers on what the battery includes, referrals, when MRI IAM follows, and what results to expect.
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What does hearing and balance testing involve?
An integrated battery combining audiology (audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflex, otoscopy) with vestibular testing (Dix-Hallpike, video head impulse test and dynamic visual acuity) in one visit.
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Why bundle hearing and balance in one visit?
The inner ear serves both hearing and balance, and many conditions — vestibular schwannoma, Ménière’s, vestibular migraine — affect both. A bundled battery gives a more complete picture than either test alone.
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Do I need a referral?
Most clinics accept self-referral for the hearing and balance battery. We can arrange a fast-track private GP or ENT referral if your insurer requires one.
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When would an MRI internal auditory meatus follow?
When the audiogram shows asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss, MRI IAM is the next step to exclude vestibular schwannoma. We arrange it directly if needed.
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Is Dix-Hallpike safe if I already feel dizzy?
Dix-Hallpike is safe and diagnostic — it deliberately provokes brief vertigo to identify BPPV. It is performed carefully, with the clinician monitoring your eyes for nystagmus.
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How quickly will I get results?
Findings are usually discussed on the day, with a formal written report and rehabilitation plan from the consultant ENT team within a few working days.
Related tests
Looking for a different test?
-
Hearing loss assessment
Focused audiology assessment for hearing loss.
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Caloric test
Bithermal caloric testing of the horizontal semicircular canals.
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Dix-Hallpike
Positional manoeuvre to diagnose posterior-canal BPPV.
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All tests
Browse every test and procedure we arrange.
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Tinnitus
Related condition guide.
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Chronic Sinusitis
Related condition guide.
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Cochlear Implants
Related treatment option.
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Cholesteatoma Surgery
Related treatment option.
Learn more
In practice, in London
Where hearing balance testing sits in a private London pathway
With hearing balance testing, the London question is usually about report turnaround and the radiologist reading it — not whether the scan is available. On the NHS, hearing balance testing typically sits behind a triage step and a wait that can stretch from a few weeks into months. In London’s private sector, the same appointment often lands within days. That speed matters when symptoms are disrupting work, sleep, or a plan you’d already committed to — and it’s the single most common reason people call us in the first place.
A private hearing balance testing pathway in London usually looks like this: an initial consultation, any diagnostics booked at a nearby facility (most within Zone 1 or 2), and a written report sent to you and your GP within a few days. The consultants we work with hold NHS posts alongside their private lists, which keeps the standards consistent across both settings. For hearing balance testing specifically, the difference between a routine report and a sub-speciality read is where private care earns its keep.
The value of going through a concierge for hearing balance testing isn’t access — anyone with an insurer or a credit card can get a private appointment in London. The value is knowing which consultant reads this particular presentation best, which unit turns reports around fastest, and which pathway won’t hit a dead end if the findings point somewhere unexpected.