NHS will not syringe ears any more

R

Rose65

Senior Member
Location
United Kingdom
So I understand. What IS going on?
Apparently we must find people to do it and pay.
My sister's ear is blocked and hurts, she sees the nurse prescriber at the surgery tomorrow. Hopefully if antibiotics are required she will get those but we don't know what happens about the wax build-up.
 

Rose65 said:
So I understand. What IS going on?
Apparently we must find people to do it and pay.
My sister's ear is blocked and hurts, she sees the nurse prescriber at the surgery tomorrow. Hopefully if antibiotics are required she will get those but we don't know what happens about the wax build-up.
Click to expand...
The NHS is saying it's not free as a core service anymore, not on the list of core services. You can still get it done, but it costs around £80.

"The provision of ear syringing is an example of an enhanced service. If a local clinical commissioning group has decided not to commission an enhanced service, this may relate to population needs and value for money. If the build-up of earwax is linked with hearing loss, then the GP practice could consider referring the patient into audiology services."
 
Murrmurr said:
The NHS is saying it's not free as a core service anymore, not on the list of core services. You can still get it done, but it costs around £80.

"The provision of ear syringing is an example of an enhanced service. If a local clinical commissioning group has decided not to commission an enhanced service, this may relate to population needs and value for money. If the build-up of earwax is linked with hearing loss, then the GP practice could consider referring the patient into audiology services."
Click to expand...
£80 is an awfully high cost. At least to me.
 

I thought that the NHS had stopped this years ago,
until 2021, when I had problems with wax, I got my
ears syringed a couple of times, before I went for a
hearing examination.

Mike.
 
I didn't know this... in fact I was thinking of seeing the doctor because for the last week I've been having trouble with my right ear being blocked. It could be a build up of wax.. but I don't know... so if there not doing it now unless we pay.. and £80 is a huge amount of money for a 2 minute procedure.. then I'll have to find a way of doing it myself..,but it might not be wax of course.. so that's the other danger...
 
i went to my chemist the other day - we only have 1 in town - and purchased a squirter bottle filled with something to soften the wax - to self apply three times a day and then I also purchased a small bulbous thingy with a spout on it - through which I was instructed to suck up - warm but not hot water into the bublous thing and then squirt into the ears for final rinsing out of!! - tricky at first but you soon get used to it - it's called self-service these days and a sorta slimming down of essential health services - there are risks of course I will admit like blowing out your eardrum after applying too much force and having the water too hot for syringing - so it does assume normal intelligence?? - believe me it gets eaier!!!
 
hollydolly said:
I didn't know this... in fact I was thinking of seeing the doctor because for the last week I've been having trouble with my right ear being blocked. It could be a build up of wax.. but I don't know... so if there not doing it now unless we pay.. and £80 is a huge amount of money for a 2 minute procedure.. then I'll have to find a way of doing it myself..,but it might not be wax of course.. so that's the other danger...
Click to expand...
Actually, do see your doctor surgery for this. My sister found they will do it for her. First she has to use olive oil based drops for a few days. So it looks like some GP surgeries will carry on doing this but others might not.
 
same in Oz - it;s just a matter of dwindling resources - I recently purchased a small syringing kit from my local chemist - they must have thought I look mildly intelligent as they gave no advice. assumed I could read instructions. one was a spray solution - spray and leave for a while ???- then an empty rubber syringe [cute little thung] - apply towel to neck and shoulder and if you have a kidney dish or similar that helps too and can stand or sit and of course as instructions say never use hot water or cold water - in between!! voila - it's part of dealing with dwindling resources [human] and a much more self-directed/controlled and public intelligentsia - however the doctor should make the call regarding your IQ at the time ?
 


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