Experiences of Earwax Treatment in 2023/24

We heard

– 34.8% respondents found accessing earwax removal Very Easy/Easy and 26.9% found it Difficult/Very Difficult. Barriers included understanding who offers earwax removal and treatment types, appointment wait times and costs of treatment.

– Most people look to their GP when they experience symptoms of earwax build-up and are disappointed if practices have long waits or no longer offer removal at all. Patients are often unclear why some GPs offer earwax removal and others don’t.

– Where GP practices still offered earwax removal this was often valued for several reasons, including quality of service, provision of self-help advice, consideration of wider symptoms and concerns, as well as being at no cost.

– People experienced a range of symptoms due to earwax build-up including loss of hearing, tinnitus, loss of balance and headaches and often more than one of these symptoms.

– Half of our respondents (52.5%) experienced significant or severe physical impacts due to earwax, and a third (31.3%) experienced significant or severe mental impacts due to earwax.

– Communication from GP practices to patients about the earwax removal services they and others offer can be unclear and risks generating further confusion.

– The most frequent cost for non-NHS earwax removal was between £50 and £75 per treatment, which is unaffordable for some patients, especially frequent users.

– A reduction in NHS [free] earwax removal and increased signposting to private paid-for services may have an impact on health inequalities, especially those on lower incomes or who require frequent treatment.

– Feedback suggests seeking treatment for earwax can be confusing, challenging to navigate and time-consuming. Clearer guidance on earwaxtreatment options and how to identify safe and cost-effective services would be valued by patients.

Our recommendations

We identified 12 recommendations from the feedback we received, all aimed at improving the experiences for patients and people seeking support with treatment for ear wax.

In summary, these seek:

• Regular audits of the provision of ear wax removal services to ensure that they are effective and that access to them is equitable for patients living in different parts of East Sussex.
• Improved guidance for the public and patients on the self-management of earwax build-up, so that consistent and safe messaging is provided by NHS services and others.
• Clear and consistent messaging for patients as to how and why services (such as earwax removal) may vary between GP practices.
• The use of Equality Health Impact Assessments (EHIA) to assess health inequalities for people seeking to access NHS and/or private earwax treatment, including any proposed changes to earwax removal provision.
• Clear, consistent and unambiguous communications from GP practices to patients on the earwax management and treatment options provided by themselves, and any providers they signpost to, including the pros and cons of the different techniques.

What we did

Earwax is an oily substance that helps protect the outer ear from dirt and germs, which may naturally move out of the ear on its own, but for some people a build-up may require professional removal.

Symptoms may include hearing loss, earache, feeling your ears are blocked, ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus) and vertigo (feeling dizzy and sick). Significant build-up may also delay or prevent a person from assessing hearing or other medical appointments or procedures.

Over the last year (2023-2024) we’ve received increased feedback about local audiology services, including challenges in obtaining treatment for a build-up of earwax. We heard this through enquiries to our Information and Signposting service, Hot Topic meetings and engagement undertaken as part our 2022 Eastbourne Listening Tour.

We designed a short survey to capture an increased range of experiences to help further our understanding of this theme and identify areas for further development.

Next steps

As the public champion for local health and care services, Healthwatch East Sussex will continue to work in partnership with commissioners and providers to monitor the experiences of patients and the public in accessing health and care services locally and explore how ongoing improvements may be delivered.

We will also send it to East Sussex County Council, NHS Sussex, Healthwatch England and others to share this insight and encourage its incorporation into future initiatives.

Tell Us Your Experiences 

Please tell us your experiences of local health and care services via our Feedback Centre and let us know how this has been for you. 

We want to hear if it has been good, bad or indifferent.

Help and support with Health and Care 

If you need help or support related to health or care, then please contact our Information & Signposting Service via 

0333 101 4007 or enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk