Patient Safety Alert on Coin Button Hearing Aid Batteries

Babies and young children (under five years) can suffer serious injuries if they swallow coin/button batteries or poke them into their nose or ears.

Tell your Audiologist
If anyone in your household has a condition or disability that might lead them to swallow or put a coin/button battery up their nose, your hearing aid must be fitted with a tamper proof battery drawer.

• All hearing aids and their batteries, used or new, must be stored out of reach and in a safe place, so that they cannot be swallowed.
• All hearing aid batteries must be stored at a room temperature of between 10-25°C.
• Make sure that you turn off your hearing aid when not using it.
• Do not carry spare hearing aid batteries or your hearing aid in your bag.
• If your hearing aid gets close to a metal object (keys or coins) it can short-circuit and stop working.

What do I do if a battery is swallowed?

• If a battery is swallowed, get medical help straight away. Call 111 or 999.

How do I get rid of used hearing aid batteries?

• Recycle your old hearing aid batteries at a local supermarket or pharmacy. They often have a disposal box.
• You can also drop your used batteries off at your local Audiology department.

Contact our service

St Ann’s Hospital Clinic
Department of Audiological Medicine,
St Ann's Hospital
St Ann’s Road,
London,
N15 3TH

Email: whh-tr.StAnns-Audiology@nhs.net
Tel: 020 3224 4698 (Monday to Friday 9 am to 5pm)