If I told you ear wax removal in the UK is unregulated, would you believe me?
If I told you that no one who practices ear wax removal has accreditation to a governing body would you believe me?
Well as its stands today the 16th of March 2026 the above statements are true.
Hi, I’m Steven and I’m a HCPC registered hearing aid audiologist and I am also registered with BSHAA the British Society Of Hearing Aid Audiologists.
You can find me on the register of both the HCPC & BSHAA for being a Registered audiologist.
What you won’t find is me on any professional register for being an accredited Ear Wax removal practitioner. WHY? Because there is none.
Now I know what you’re thinking –
“I went to a pharmacy, and they told me they were accredited by the NHS for ear wax removal it literally says NHS Approved Microsuction on their website”.
Well I’m sorry to inform you they are misleading you. There is no such thing as NHS Approved Microsuction practitioners or practices within pharmacies. None.
What about NHS Accredited Aural Care specialist or we’re accredited by the NHS? – Sorry this just isn’t a thing.
I seen an advert that said free ear check with the NHS logo in my local pharmacy.
Yes, the Pharmacy is an NHS pharmacy but advertising the NHS logo next to that ear check is misleading.
If you follow the process of the ear check and ear wax removal will incur a charge and I can tell you categorically you will pay for it and its nothing to do with the NHS.
The NHS logo and name should be nowhere near the private provision or service. If anything has NHS next to it you should expect no charge at all.
What a lot of these companies mean is they attended a course that is accredited by the NHS. In other words NHS staff go on this course because they deem it to be of the standard required to operate in the NHS. Once this course is completed you do not become NHS accredited.
As professional we need to do better.
It does not stop there.
Wild claims about Ear Wax removal specialists being qualified and regulated by the HCPC & BSHAA.
Sorry! No, they are not.
Again, you may be regulated by the HCPC for duties as a hearing aid audiologist, but you are not regulated to perform wax removal.
Another common one –
Our ear wax removal practitioners have successfully completed a training course with TympaHealth and are accredited by the British Society of Audiology (BSA) and the British society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (BSHAA) and ENT UK.
Again, this is false and misleading, and you see it quite a lot.
Tympahealth have no such accreditation with any of these bodies and none of these bodies will intervene should your care be lacking.
As Ear Wax removal is unregulated a carpenter could go on a course for 1 day and if they could get insurance they could be trading the very next day. I have no issue with this under the current law as long as the carpenter was honest about their qualifications and experience its then up to you the patient to accept the risk.
I do have a major problem with Pharmacies, nurses and people in the hearing care sector making claims that are misleading and wholly inaccurate especially when they are fully aware they are abusing a governing body or a trusted brand such as the NHS.
We need top do better as professionals and we need to hold ourselves to higher standards.
What can you do as a consumer?
If you would rather have someone who is an audiologist manage your ears in any capacity, we must be registered by the HCPC. The HCPC has a search function you can check for the audiologist.
You can also search BSHAA although it’s not compulsory to be part of BSHAA where it is compulsory to be part of the HCPC.
If you are attending a visit to a Nurse the Nurse will either, be operating in a practice that is HIS registered (Scotland) or CQC registered (England). The Nurse would also be on the Nurse and Midwifery Council register and can be checked.
Both Nurse’s and Audiologists (Outside of Otolaryngologist) are arguably the highest standard for safe ear wax removal. As an audiologist I’ve spent 30 years looking down ears. I know whats in there.
Pharmacies –
If booking with a pharmacy, ask if it’s the pharmacist that’s doing the procedure. Ask their qualifications. Continued training. Career history in ear health management Make sure you are being treated by an experienced professional who is part of a healthcare register.
HCPC other trades-
There are instances where the HCPC logo (I know of 3) is used next to Ear wax Removal specialist. When attending the appointment, the patient has become aware that the HCPC qualification the practitioner has is not Hearing related its actually podiatry or other non-related industries. This again is hugely misleading.
As professionals you must do better.
Steven Ross
Ross & Jamieson Hearing Consultants
HCPC Registered Audiologist BSHAA member
54 Main Street
Uddingston G71 7LS
