CQ Audiology holds a periodic visiting hearing clinic in Blackwater at North Blackwater General Practice, 14 Blain Street. It is not a permanent office. Our audiologist travels out from Rockhampton on set clinic days, sees patients through the day, then heads back. That means you can have your hearing checked close to home instead of driving the Capricorn Highway.
Visiting-clinic days vary by location. Please call (07) 4848 6528 to confirm the next available clinic in Blackwater before travelling.
What happens on a visiting clinic day in Blackwater?
Rajesh Geddada, our qualified audiologist, drives out from Rockhampton with portable diagnostic equipment and works from a consulting room at the general practice on Blain Street for the day. Appointments run one after another, so the day fills up once word gets around town. You do not have to be a patient of that practice to see us there. We are simply using the room.
- A quiet consulting room is set up properly, so your hearing is checked carefully rather than rushed.
- Appointments are booked ahead by phone. Walk-ins usually cannot be fitted in on a visiting day.
- Allow around an hour for a first appointment, and less for a quick check or a hearing aid adjustment.
- Bring your Medicare card, any pensioner concession or DVA card, and your current hearing aids if you wear them.
What can be done in Blackwater, and what needs Rockhampton
We would rather be straight with you. A visiting site covers a lot, but it is a borrowed room, not our main clinic, and some equipment does not travel. Here is what we can usually handle on a Blackwater clinic day.
- Diagnostic hearing assessments for adults, with your results explained on the day.
- Hearing aid fitting, programming and fine tuning.
- Cleaning, retubing, replacement domes and wax filters, and battery supply.
- Ear impressions for custom earplugs, with the finished plugs posted out or collected next visit.
- Paperwork and reviews under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program.
Some things genuinely need our Rockhampton rooms at T33 & 34A, City Centre Plaza, 24 Fitzroy Street. Cochlear implant assessment, anything needing the full diagnostic suite, stubborn ear wax that is better handled with micro-suction, and workshop level hearing aid repairs all sit in that group. If your Blackwater appointment turns up something like that, we will say so on the day and help you plan one trip in rather than three.
Noise at work in the Bowen Basin
Blackwater is a working town. Draglines, longwall gear, workshops, the rail corridor and the yard all make noise, and ears do not get a rostered day off. Australian workplaces have noise exposure limits and hearing protection requirements for good reason. If you have spent years around heavy plant, having a baseline hearing assessment on file is worth doing whether or not you have noticed a change yet.
We provide pre-employment hearing assessments and industrial deafness assessments as part of our normal services. What we cannot do is tell you what caused any one person's hearing change, and we will not pretend otherwise. What we can do is measure your hearing carefully, explain the results in plain language, and give you a written record you can keep for your own files.
Hearing protection you will actually wear
Foam plugs and earmuffs work, but only while they are in. Plenty of workers pull them out to hear a radio call or a mate, then forget to put them back. Custom earplugs are moulded from an impression of your own ear, so they sit comfortably for a full shift and are far more likely to stay in. Impressions can often be taken on a visiting clinic day.
- Filtered work plugs that cut the noise level while still letting you hear speech and radio traffic.
- Sleep plugs for shift workers trying to rest through daylight, camp noise or a busy household.
- Motorbike and shooting plugs for time away from the job.
- Swim plugs for the kids over summer.
Do I need a referral to book a hearing test?
No. You can book a standard hearing assessment with us directly. If your GP has written a referral, bring it along, because the background helps. If you hold a card, say so when you call, because eligible pensioner concession card and DVA card holders may access services under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program; eligibility criteria apply. We will check your details before the clinic day so nothing holds up your appointment.
Coming in as a family
Clinic days suit households, not just individuals. If a partner has been saying the television is too loud for years, book the two of you back to back rather than making two separate trips into town. Bringing someone with you also helps at the end of the appointment, when we go through the results. Two people remember more of a conversation than one, and the person who lives with you often has the most useful information about where hearing is causing trouble.
If the Blackwater clinic day does not suit
Timing does not always line up with rosters, school runs or a run of wet weather. Our visiting clinic in Emerald is further west along the Capricorn Highway and may have a day that fits better, and the Rockhampton clinic is open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday 9:00am to 12:00pm. Call and we will work out which option gets you seen soonest.
Book a place at the next Blackwater clinic
Ring us on (07) 4848 6528 to check when the next Blackwater clinic day is running and to have your name put down, or send your details through the booking form and we will call you back. We are an independent, family run practice, so you will be speaking with people who know the region and will tell you honestly whether a visiting appointment or a Rockhampton one suits you better.
DISCLAIMER: The content on this page is intended for general educational purposes only and does not replace individual professional advice. Please speak with a qualified audiologist or your GP about your own hearing, diagnosis or care options.