NHS campaigners representing Banbury have lashed out at Oxfordshire health bosses’ withdrawal of a service that can prevent deafness – Banbury Guardian
People will have to pay for ear wax removal under new rules proposed by Oxfordshire NHS bosses, unless they get a referral for hearing loss. Picture by Getty
And they have demanded reinstatement of the service in the NHS.
Secretary of the group, Bill MacKeith said: “Every year, wax builds up in the ears of thousands of people across the county, adversely affecting their hearing, ability to communicate and general well-being. Until recently, nurses in GP surgeries offered ear-syringing t…….
People will have to pay for ear wax removal under new rules proposed by Oxfordshire NHS bosses, unless they get a referral for hearing loss. Picture by Getty
And they have demanded reinstatement of the service in the NHS.
Secretary of the group, Bill MacKeith said: “Every year, wax builds up in the ears of thousands of people across the county, adversely affecting their hearing, ability to communicate and general well-being. Until recently, nurses in GP surgeries offered ear-syringing to treat this very common condition. Now, however, very few if any GPs in Oxfordshire offer to clear ear wax and patients are having to pay anything up to over £100 to have their ears cleared privately – usually by microsuction.
“Yet another free NHS service is disappearing, enabling private profit for shareholders to take precedence over the right to tax-funded healthcare free at the point of use.”
Oxfordshire Clinical Commissiing Group (CCG) said National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance recommends ‘self-care’ for ear wax and that pharmacists can assist. The group said a new service for people needing hearing assessment would begin in December.
KONPOX said a report on ear wax removal by the watchdog Oxfordshire Healthwatch, to be published tomorrow (Thursday) is expected to expose the ‘dire lack of provision’.
“The CCG has informed the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Oxfordshire County Council (HOSC) a newly commissioned audiology service.. will include ear wax clearing free of charge for patients over 55 (referred by their GP or self-referred) suffering from age-related hearing loss, who require a hearing assessment.
“It excludes all under-55s and people over 55 whose deafness is caused simply by build-up of wax. Papers .. show the service was being commissioned without any clear idea of the demand or of patients’ wishes.”
Maggie Winters of KONPOX said: “Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group should have consulted patients and the public before this cut in services. What does OCCG propose for people who cannot afford to pay for treatment?
“Official NHSE guidance is clear that hearing loss needs to be properly addressed. This can only be done with a free and easily accessible service for ear wax removal. The obvious setting for this is the GP surgery. The service should be included in the national GP contract. In the meantime, OCCG should work with GPs to decide how best to organise GP wax removal services – for example through the newly formed Primary Care Networks – and commission them accordingly. The necessary staff must be recruited and trained.
“We do not agree that the new contract is in line with national policy. The implication in the new contract is that people are expected to self-fund where only ear wax removal is required. There …….
