Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients across England can receive earwax removal treatment at (a) their NHS GP Surgery or (b) for free at an alternative provider when clinically necessary.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence no longer advises manual ear syringing due to risks associated, such as infection and trauma to the ear drum. General practitioner (GP) practices increasingly recommending self-care methods as the primary means to support the safe removal of ear wax. However, if a GP practice considers removal clinically necessary, the procedure should either be undertaken at the practice or the patient should be referred to an appropriate local NHS service.