The service provides ear care (including de-waxing, clearing and self-management advice) to a range of people registered with a GP in Trafford who meet the required criteria.
The Community Ear Care service can only accept referrals from patients who have been examined by a Healthcare professional such as a Practice Nurse, GP, Audiologist or specialist nurse and where presence of ear-wax is confirmed.
We use various methods of dewaxing and clearance, including instrumentation or micro- suction to provide ear care for residents of Trafford.
We provide care to a range of people who meet a required criteria, including people who are housebound.
The service is a Trafford-wide service provided for patients registered with a Trafford GP who are aged 16 and above.
Some patients are excluded from the service if they have particular conditions that mean it is not suitable to provide this service in the community. This includes:
- Ear Irrigation exclusion:
- Cleft Pallet
- Mastoidectomy
- Recent Perforation
- Mucus discharge from the ear
- Micro suction exclusion:
- Recent ear surgery
- Mastoidectomy.
We offer a de-waxing, ear clearance and advisory service by appointment only.
The service will carry out a full assessment of each ear. Treatment for affected ears for the removal of earwax will be undertaken via irrigation or instrumentation and/or micro-suction.
Patients with a history of problematic ear wax will be identified and specific advice given for on-going care and treatment and all patients will receive advice on self-care in order to reduce the frequency of treatment.
Patients who have hearing aids can also be treated for a build-up of wax and will be asked to make an appointment prior to their next planned visit to Audiology in order that their ears are clear of wax and so they can be properly assessed.
The service will also accept referrals from Audiology where patients have presented and cannot be properly examined. Hearing aid users will not be discharged from the service and a care plan for return visits will be maintained.
Please note: Earwax is a normal build-up that protects the inner ear. The quantity of earwax produced varies greatly from person to person and a plug of earwax is not a serious problem. You only need to remove earwax if it is causing symptoms such as dulled hearing or it is preventing you from fitting a hearing aid.
Contact information
Meadway Health Centre
Meadway
Sale
M33 4PS
Phone: 0300 323 0303
Opening hours
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.
Late night Tuesdays.
Referral is via Trafford Single Point of Access (SPOA) once treatment is recommended by a Healthcare Professional. Healthcare professionals are asked to encourage self-management in the first instance.
Referrals via 0300 323 0303 or tspoa1@nhs.net
or mail referrals via SPOA, Meadway Health Centre, Sale M33 4PS
Parking available.
Service Information
De-waxing, ear clearance and advisory service by appointment only to people who meet required criterion, including housebound.
Who can refer?
Health professionals can refer via SPoA.
How to refer
Referral via Trafford Single Point of Access (SPOA) once treatment is recommended by a Healthcare Professional. Healthcare professionals are asked to encourage self-management in the first instance through Olive Oil drops. If that is effective after a week then patients can cancel their appointment.
- Tel: 0300 323 0303
- Email: tspoa1@nhs.net
- Mail referrals via SPOA, Meadway Health Centre, Sale M33 4PS
General enquiries about referrals can be made to the team from professionals via 0161 413 7772.
Information last reviewed: January 2025