Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of ear syringing treatment through the NHS in West London; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has not assessed the availability of ear syringing treatment on the NHS in West London. In June 2018 the National Institute for Health Care Excellence (NICE) updated its guidance ‘Hearing loss in adults: assessment and management’ so that it no longer recommends manual ear wax syringing. This is due to risks associated with the treatment such as trauma to their ear drum or infection. Instead, NICE guidance suggests alternative arrangements, such as ear irrigation using an electronic irrigator, micro suction, or another method of earwax removal, such as manual removal using a probe.