About us
We are Steve and Becky Mahoney. We are experienced Paramedics working in Primary Care for a couple of Somerset GP surgeries. During our work we often meet patients who have troublesome ear symptoms caused by impacted earwax blocking their ear canals or those who have had failed audiology or hearing aid fitting appointments due to wax build up. The thought of weeks of putting oil into their ears before booking an ear irrigation appointment was visibly frustrating for many. There were also many patients who were unhappy with the long wait of many months for a referral from their GP to the hospital for ear microsuction, due to the increasing demand on these hospital departments. We felt that there was a real need to provide an affordable clinic for those patients who wanted to have the offending wax or debris removed as soon as possible.
We both qualified to perform Aural Microsuction under the consultant led training course provided by Ear Care Academy at Charing Cross Hospital, London. This course is BSA accredited and ENT UK assured.
The Meadows GP Surgery in Ilminster is a very friendly practice with excellent car parking and a quiet, comfortable waiting room. The treatment room is comfortable, air conditioned and fully accessible.
Why is it important that your Microsuction provider is regulated by the CQC?
Being registered with the the Care Quality Commision (CQC) means that a provider must :
- evidence appropriate training and experience of staff to perform the procedure
- ensure all policies are in place and adhered to (including; infection control, procedure risk assessment, health & safety)
- ensure adequate insurances and complaint processes are in place
- ensure all staff have up to date Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
Unfortunately, earwax removal is poorly regulated. The CQC has a defined list of Health Care Professionals (HCPs) that they insist must be registered with them in order to provide safe earwax removal. However, they do not enforce regulation of anyone who is not on their list of HCPs. This means there are many providers who are either unlisted HCPs or do not have any medical background or checks made on the suitability of their experience, training, equipment and insurance or safety processes. You may attend a reliable, unrelated business (pharmacy, optician, audiologist) but the contracted microsuction provider may be unregulated.
At Somerset Ear Microsuction, you will only be seen by an experienced clinician with many years of primary care and earwax removal experience. The procedure takes place in a clean, clinical treatment room and the equipment used is the same that you would find in a hospital ENT department. Above all, you have the reassurance that we are regulated by the CQC who ensure that we provide a safe service. We are experienced in identifying abnormalities and infections and will provide ear care advice and clinical notes for your GP if needed. We also provide Microsuction for NHS patients referred from the local GP surgeries.
Earwax
The ear is self cleaning, the skin of the ear canal migrates from the ear drum outwards, earwax is a natural product of skin from this migration mixed with secretions from glands in the skin of the outer third of the ear canal. Earwax acts as a trap for dust and other particles, it is also slightly acidic and has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Wax may accumulate and occlude the canal causing discomfort, hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness and even a persistent cough. Wax impaction can affect anyone, but can be exacerbated by physical barriers like hairs, hearing aids and cotton bud use.
The Procedure
Clinic appointments are held in a clinical treatment room within The Meadows, which is a small and welcoming GP surgery in Ilminster. The surgery has plenty of free parking and a quiet waiting room.
The earwax or debris is removed using a tiny suction tube and specialised wax removing tools under direct microscopic vision. The binocular vision gives excellent magnification and depth of vision in order to perform delicate fine movements.
Unlike ear irrigation or syringing there is no need for weeks of pretreating with wax softening agents (cerumenolytics) such as olive oil and sodium bicarbonate, there is no watery mess and the risk of complications such as injury are minimal because the procedure is performed under direct vision at all times.
Booking an appointment in our Ilminster clinic is easy
Our online booking system (Halaxy) requires you to have your email address and mobile phone number to hand. If you do not have these then please contact us directly and we will gladly book the appointment for you.
Please note that adults accompanying under 18's or patients who are unable to make informed decisions about their care, will need to provide verification of identity (see registration form when booking).
If you have used our service or contacted us, we would be grateful if you would leave a review here
For any queries or if you need some advice then please find our contact details below
Microsuction Prices
One ear
£35.00
Both ears
£60.00
Appointments will last up to 30 minutes, a £20 assessment fee will be payable in the unusual event that no wax is found
Contact Form
We would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, feedback or complaints about the service or would like to book an appointment, please call us now on 07597012731 or send a message using the form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can
Hypnotherapy help for tinnitus
Hypnotherapy can help with the non-medical, emotional aspects of tinnitus .
