10 Million in England Lose Access to NHS Earwax Removal Services

Hearing loss charity RNID calls for urgent review, criticizes 'postcode lottery' of care and inadequate patient advice.

Almost 10 million people in England are unable to access free earwax removal services on the NHS, according to a report by hearing loss charity RNID.
Patients are being forced to pay up to £100 for private procedures or risk worsening their hearing, with older people, hearing aid users and people with learning disabilities most commonly in need of the service.
The RNID report states that less than half of local health bodies are providing earwax removal services, despite there being no medical reason to withdraw the service.
RNID has called for an urgent review by the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure everyone who needs ear wax removal can access local NHS provision.
The charity also criticized the NHS's advice to patients on how to get rid of wax, calling it 'often incomplete, potentially unsafe and not based on evidence.'