Ear Wax Removal in London 2026. Why the NHS Stopped Doing It, What Actually Works and What to Avoid

Reviewed by the medical team at The Wellness. Last updated 1 September 2026.

Book ear wax removal on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com or call 020 3951 3429.

Why can I no longer get this done on the NHS

NICE guideline NG98 is clear that ear wax should be removed in primary care when it causes hearing loss or prevents the eardrum being examined. What changed is commissioning rather than guidance. Many integrated care boards withdrew funding for the procedure, practices stopped training staff and buying equipment, and the service disappeared from most surgeries without announcement.

The practical result is that people are advised to use olive oil or sodium bicarbonate drops for several days and then to seek help elsewhere. Drops work reasonably well for softer wax and poorly for hard impacted plugs, and using them for weeks while hearing is reduced is not a treatment plan.

The gap has been filled by high street audiology chains and by a large number of untrained operators, which is where the risk now sits. Microsuction is safe in trained hands and a sharp instrument in a narrow canal is unforgiving in untrained ones. Asking who is performing the procedure and what happens if they find something other than wax is a reasonable question, and the answer varies enormously across this market.

Which removal method is best

Microsuction is first choice for most people. A microscope or loupes give direct vision of the canal throughout, a fine suction tip lifts the wax out, and nothing is pushed inward. It requires no preparation in many cases, though drops for 3 to 5 days beforehand soften hard wax and make the procedure quicker and more comfortable. It is safe in people with a perforation, previous surgery or grommets, which irrigation is not.

Irrigation, meaning controlled warm water at low pressure from an electronic irrigator, remains effective for softer wax and is still used appropriately. It is not suitable where there is a perforated eardrum, previous ear surgery, grommets in place, a current or recent ear infection, a single hearing ear, or a history of complications from previous irrigation. The old-fashioned metal syringe is obsolete.

Manual instrumentation with a curette or hook under direct vision is useful for wax sitting close to the entrance of the canal and is often combined with microsuction.

Softening drops alone will clear a proportion of cases. Olive oil or sodium bicarbonate 5% used for 3 to 5 days is reasonable to try first, and NICE supports this. If hearing has not returned after that, the wax needs removing rather than more drops.

Ask which method suits you on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com.

What you should never do to your ears

Cotton buds are the single commonest cause of impacted wax. The canal is self-cleaning and migrates wax outward on its own, and a bud removes a small amount from the entrance while compacting the rest against the eardrum. They also cause abrasions, infections and perforations.

Ear candling has no evidence of benefit. Studies have shown it produces no negative pressure and removes no wax, and the residue people are shown afterwards is candle wax rather than ear wax. It has caused burns to the face and canal, obstruction from dripped wax and tympanic membrane perforation, and regulators including the US Food and Drug Administration have warned against it.

Hydrogen peroxide preparations and repeated use of drops beyond a week can macerate the canal skin and cause otitis externa, which is more painful than the original problem.

Home suction kits and hairpins, matches, keys and paperclips all do what you would expect in a canal roughly 25mm long ending in a membrane less than a tenth of a millimetre thick.

And if the ear is painful, discharging or bleeding, or hearing has dropped suddenly, that is not wax. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a medical emergency needing assessment within days because treatment outcomes depend on how quickly steroids are started, and it is regularly mistaken for a blocked ear.

What does ear wax removal cost in London

Consultant ENT appointments in the Harley Street district run £250 to £450 for a first consultation, with microsuction charged separately and combined costs commonly reaching £500 to £800. Private hospital ENT pathways run higher. Audiology chains and high street providers sit at £50 to £150 for microsuction alone, performed by an audiologist or technician rather than a doctor, with no medical assessment of the ear beyond the wax and no route onward if something else is found.

At The Wellness the consultation, the procedure and the assessment afterwards are one fee. All figures are from prices.

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Executive Health Programme: enquire for the current fee, assessment and inclusions.

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Ear wax removal by microsuction: enquire for consultation, examination, treatment and follow-up assessment fees and inclusions.

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Extended 45-minute consultation for ear symptoms, dizziness, tinnitus or hearing loss: enquire for the current fee.

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In-person consultation with examination: enquire for the current fee. Same-day video consultation for advice and drops before a procedure, from £150.

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Telephone consultation £59 for a single straightforward question.

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Home visits £450. Hotel visits £495 daytime / £595 evening. Enquire for office visits and any weekend surcharge.

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Audiometry, ENT referral to a named consultant and imaging arranged at specialist centres where the assessment indicates.

Same-day appointments 7 days a week in Marylebone.

Why The Wellness is the best place in London for ear wax removal

Because a doctor looks in the ear before anything is removed and again afterwards. A blocked ear is a symptom rather than a diagnosis, and the conditions hiding behind it include otitis externa, cholesteatoma, a perforation, a foreign body, middle ear effusion and sudden sensorineural hearing loss. A technician removing wax will find the wax. A doctor will tell you what the eardrum looks like underneath it, which is the part that matters when the hearing does not return.

Because the method is chosen for your ear rather than by what the provider owns. Microsuction where the wax is hard or there is a perforation, previous surgery or grommets. Irrigation where it is appropriate and safe. Instrumentation where the wax sits at the entrance. And drops alone where that is all that is needed, which we will tell you rather than sell you a procedure.

Because everything behind it exists here. Audiometry where hearing has not recovered, ENT referral to a named consultant with the appointment booked where something needs specialist attention, and a same-day pathway for sudden hearing loss, which is the one presentation in this area where days change the outcome.

Related reading

Private GP in London sets out the full consultation range, headaches and migraine covers the overlap with ear and facial pain, and private specialist referral explains how consultant appointments are arranged.

Book today on WhatsApp or call 020 3951 3429.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get ear wax removed in London

The Wellness in Marylebone, usually the same day. Enquire for microsuction, consultation, examination and follow-up assessment fees and inclusions. Audiometry and ENT referral can be arranged where indicated; confirm any separate charges before booking.

Why will the NHS not remove my ear wax

NICE guideline NG98 recommends removal in primary care where wax causes hearing loss or blocks examination, but many integrated care boards decommissioned the service, so most practices no longer offer it and advise drops instead.

Is microsuction better than syringing

For most people, yes. Microsuction is performed under direct vision so nothing is pushed inward, needs less preparation, and is safe where there is a perforation, previous ear surgery or grommets, none of which are suitable for irrigation. Irrigation remains effective and appropriate for softer wax in a healthy canal.

Should I use drops before the appointment

It helps. Olive oil or sodium bicarbonate 5% for 3 to 5 days softens hard wax and makes removal quicker and more comfortable. Do not continue beyond about a week, because prolonged use can macerate the canal skin and cause otitis externa.

Does ear candling work

No. Studies show it produces no negative pressure and removes no wax, and the residue shown afterwards is candle wax. It has caused burns, canal obstruction and eardrum perforation, and regulators including the US Food and Drug Administration have warned against it.

My ear is blocked but removal did not help

Then it was not only wax. Middle ear effusion, otitis externa, a perforation, eustachian tube dysfunction and sensorineural hearing loss all present as a blocked ear. Sudden hearing loss in particular needs assessment within days, because steroid treatment outcomes depend on how quickly it is started.

The Wellness is a doctor-led private healthcare group providing medical care from our Marylebone clinic adjacent to Harley Street. All doctors are GMC-registered. Imaging is arranged at specialist centres and reported by consultant radiologists. Sudden hearing loss, severe ear pain, discharge or bleeding needs urgent assessment, and in an emergency call 999. This article is general information and not a substitute for medical advice about your own health.