A new report from RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) reveals a severe shortage of ear wax removal services in England, leaving 8.1 million people without access to essential care and at risk of preventable hearing loss.

For Helen Kendall 76, from Bath, ear wax services are essential for her mental health and wellbeing. Describing herself as a ‘sociable person’ who enjoys the cinema and her local choir – wax build-up affects her hearing, which in turn affects her confidence and the ability to enjoy everyday life to the full.

She says: “I am still paying for private earwax removal as there are no services provided by local NHS services.

“One of the things I regularly face is a lack of understanding about the experience of living with hearing loss. It seems very hard for most people to understand how difficult and tiring it is for me, and many people in my situation - to hear clearly in lots of different environments.

“How much I inevitably miss and how I am always trying to construct sense out of partially heard sentences. Of course, how much worse this becomes if I have a buildup of ear wax.”

An estimated 2.3 million people in the UK like Helen require professional ear wax removal every year. Older people, hearing aid users and people with learning disabilities are more likely to be at risk.

According to the report, in areas with zero service, people like Helen with ear wax build-up have no choice but to pay for private removal, which can cost up to £100 per session. With 1 in 10 people requiring ear wax removal three or more times per year, this can become prohibitively expensive and more than a third surveyed by the charity say this is unaffordable. Without access to ear wax services, many people are also left to attempt ear wax removal at home.

A survey conducted by RNID has revealed the extent to which dangerous DIY self-management methods are used, despite the fact these methods are known to cause infection, ear canal or ear drum damage and permanent hearing loss.

RNID polling shows many people use unsafe methods for ear wax removal, such as cotton buds (26 per cent) and tweezers (5 per cent). Almost half experience hearing loss, earache, or tinnitus, and one in five face mental health issues.

In some places where the service is commissioned, not all GP practices choose to deliver it. Some ICBs also have restrictive criteria such as only offering the service to people over 55, which goes against NICE guidelines.

For more information and to support RNID’s Stop the Block campaign, visit www.rnid.org.uk/stoptheblock