Haywards Heath mum forced to pay £90 for daughter’s ears to be syringed

A mum who has lost her job amid the coronavirus pandemic says she was forced to pay £90 for her daughter’s ears to be syringed after being told she could not have it done on the NHS.
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Sue Ellis, of Haywards Heath, said her 26-year-old daughter, Natasha, has suffered with ear problems since she was a child.

They regularly become blocked and she had to have grommets when she was younger, she said.

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But after contacting her daughter’s local surgery to ask for her ears to be syringed, she was told they were not carrying out the procedure on the NHS at the moment.

Sue Ellie and her daughter, Natasha. Photos contributedSue Ellie and her daughter, Natasha. Photos contributed
Sue Ellie and her daughter, Natasha. Photos contributed

Sue said: “Natasha has always had problems with her ears and to be honest, we have never really got to the bottom of it.

“It is a problem that is not going to go away quickly. Her son also wears a hearing aid as he is deaf in one ear.”

Sue said she was told by the doctor’s surgery that Natasha should continue to treat the earwax build-up herself by using olive oil – but despite numerous attempts, this was not working, she said, and Natasha could not hear properly.

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“They were really blocked up,” added Sue. “I got on the phone and started ringing private places as she desperately needed it done but I was being told it was a two-month wait.”

Eventually, Sue said she managed to secure an appointment for Natasha’s ears to be syringed at Nuffield Hospital in Haywards Heath – but had to fork out £90 for the procedure. “I just think it is terrible that we had to pay for it when you should be able to get the service for free with the NHS,” said Sue.

“I have just lost my job and I think it is wrong that you have to find that money when you are not in a position to.”

A spokesman for NHS West Sussex CCG said: “The safety of patients and staff has to be the utmost priority at this current time.

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GP practices are working hard to restore services, including providing face to face appointments where these are clinically needed, but there will be a phased return for additional services such as ear syringing so that this can be done safely and follow infection control guidance to protect everyone involved.

“We are very sorry to hear the experience of this family and we would encourage them to speak to their GP practice about when this service may be able to restart.”

NHS West Sussex CCG said ear syringing is an additional service that some GP practices provide as part of a Locally Commissioned Service.

It is outside their national contractual obligations for medical services, it said.

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It added that GP practices have been advised to restart any additional services when these clinics can follow infection control guidance and measures are in place for staff and for patients.

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