Frequently asked questions

No. You can book directly with Nottingham Ear Clinic online or by calling 0115 837 2252.

Your care is led by GMC-registered doctors with specialist ENT experience. Where full hearing assessment, tinnitus management or hearing protection support is appropriate, your doctor can refer you to our in-house audiology pathway.

Yes. Nottingham Ear Clinic provides care from a CQC-regulated setting, which helps set the clinic apart in an area of healthcare where ear cleaning is often offered by providers with widely varying training and governance. Nottingham Ear Clinic is one of a small number of ear clinics in the UK whose ear care services have external oversight from the Care Quality Commission.

Yes. Your care is provided by GMC-registered doctors with appropriate professional registration, indemnity and insurance in place. Most of our clinicians also work within the NHS alongside their private work, and the clinic operates with clear clinical governance, documentation and safety standards.

We provide private ENT consultations, microsuction ear wax removal, foreign body removal, ear infection treatment, ear & hearing health, full hearing assessments, tinnitus management, a full range of hearing protection and moulds, and assessment of a wide range of ear symptoms.

Nottingham Ear Clinic currently sees patients aged 18 and over only. If you are concerned about a child’s hearing or ear symptoms, please speak to your GP or local NHS paediatric audiology service.

If you have blocked ears or suspected wax, microsuction may be suitable. If you have ear pain, discharge, itching, dizziness, sudden hearing change, recurrent symptoms, or you are unsure what is causing your symptoms, you can book a private ENT consultation with a doctor for a full clinical assessment and advice on the safest next steps.

Ear symptoms can overlap. A blocked ear, discomfort, discharge, ringing, dizziness or hearing change may have several possible causes. A doctor-led clinical examination helps identify the most appropriate appointment pathway or next step.

Nottingham Ear Clinic is based at 200 Derby Road, Stapleford, NG9 7AY. We support patients from Nottingham, Derby, Beeston, Wollaton, Long Eaton, Bramcote, West Bridgford and surrounding areas.

Yes. Free on-street parking is available nearby for up to 1 hour. Alternatively, patients can use nearby Broxtowe Council car parks. Halls Road, NG9 7FP uses PayByPhone location number 804176 and costs £1 for up to 12 hours. Derby Road, NG9 7AS uses PayByPhone location number 810958 and costs £1 for up to 2 hours. Both car parks are less than a 5-minute walk from the clinic.

Yes. The clinic is located on a convenient bus route from Nottingham and Derby. Patients can use the Trent Barton i4 service, with bus stops less than a minute’s walk from the clinic.

Our usual opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm, and Saturday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Sunday is closed. Care or home visits and out-of-hours appointments may be available on request.

You can call Nottingham Ear Clinic on 0115 837 2252 or email care@nottinghamearclinic.co.uk.

Microsuction is a precise method of ear wax removal using gentle suction under direct vision. At Nottingham Ear Clinic, it is carried out by a doctor using ENT-grade equipment so the ear canal and eardrum can be assessed carefully before and during treatment. It is commonly used for blocked ears, wax-related hearing reduction, tinnitus caused by wax, or when wax prevents a clear view of the eardrum.

Ear syringing and irrigation use water to flush wax from the ear canal. They can be unsuitable for some patients, particularly where there is a history of eardrum perforation, ear surgery, recurrent infection, ear canal problems, dizziness or active inflammation. Potential downsides include discomfort, retained moisture, infection, dizziness, trauma to the ear canal and, rarely, eardrum injury. Microsuction is widely regarded as the gold standard approach for ear wax removal in specialist ear-care settings. NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, recommends that earwax removal should be available when clinically appropriate, including microsuction. Nottingham Ear Clinic therefore uses microscope-guided microsuction rather than routine syringing or irrigation.

Microsuction usually feels like a gentle pulling, tugging or tickling sensation. You may hear a suction sound during treatment. Most patients tolerate it well, and your clinician will work carefully to keep you comfortable.

Appointments are usually booked for around 30 minutes. This allows time for your doctor to listen to your symptoms, examine your ears, carry out treatment where appropriate and explain aftercare clearly.

Occasionally wax may be too firm, sensitive or deep to remove fully in one visit. If your doctor advises a follow-up appointment, your first follow-up is offered free when booked within 2 weeks of the initial appointment.

If no wax is found, your appointment will be converted into a Private ENT Consultation (£95). Because Nottingham Ear Clinic is doctor-led, you will not simply be turned away. Your doctor can assess for other possible causes of blocked or uncomfortable ears, such as infection, inflammation, eustachian tube dysfunction, tinnitus, middle-ear problems or hearing change, and explain the next steps.

If you are able to, using olive oil for up to 3 days before your appointment can help soften wax and make removal more comfortable. Do not use ear drops if you have been advised to avoid them, have a known eardrum perforation, or develop worsening pain or discharge before your appointment.

Nottingham Ear Clinic recommends Earol olive oil spray for many patients because it provides a controlled metered dose, is easy to apply and is less messy than traditional drops. The spray can help soften ear wax before microsuction and may be easier to use because it does not require the same awkward head-tilting as pipette drops. Earol is available to purchase from our clinic, along with a range of other ear-related products.

A microscope gives your doctor a magnified, detailed view of the ear canal and eardrum, helping treatment to be more precise. Nottingham Ear Clinic uses ENT-grade digital microscope technology rather than relying on lower-magnification alternatives.

Yes. Microsuction is a quick, non-invasive procedure, and most patients return to work or normal activities straight after the appointment.

A private ENT consultation is a doctor-led assessment for ear symptoms such as pain, discharge, hearing change, blocked ears, tinnitus, dizziness, itching, recurrent infections or concerns about the ear canal or eardrum.

Your doctor will take a clinical history, discuss your symptoms, examine your ears using appropriate clinical equipment such as a digital otoscope, and explain likely causes and next steps. Images or video may be used where clinically useful to support explanation and monitoring.

Yes. These symptoms can be assessed as part of a doctor-led appointment. If audiology testing, tinnitus management or urgent specialist input is needed, your doctor will explain the safest route.

If you develop sudden hearing loss, severe dizziness, facial weakness, severe headache, swelling or redness around the ear, significant bleeding, rapidly worsening pain or you feel very unwell, please contact your GP, NHS 111, or call 999 in an emergency.

Yes. Nottingham Ear Clinic can assess painful, itchy, inflamed or discharging ears. Your doctor will examine the ear canal and eardrum, explain the likely diagnosis and, where clinically appropriate, can provide a private prescription for suitable antibiotics or other treatment to manage most ear infections.

Otitis externa is inflammation or infection of the ear canal. It can cause pain, itching, discharge, swelling, blockage and reduced hearing. It may be bacterial, fungal or related to eczema, moisture or irritation.

Yes, where clinically indicated. An ear swab may help identify whether infection is bacterial or fungal, particularly if symptoms are persistent, recurrent or not responding as expected.

Not always. Treatment depends on what is found during the examination. Where an ear infection is diagnosed and antibiotics are clinically appropriate, our doctors can provide a private prescription for suitable treatment. Some ear infections may require different treatment depending on whether the infection appears bacterial, fungal, inflammatory or mixed.

Yes. Where your doctor feels review is clinically appropriate, your first follow-up for ear infection is offered free when booked within 2 weeks of your initial appointment. You will also receive clear treatment advice, what to monitor for, and when further medical review may be needed.

Yes, suitable foreign bodies can often be assessed and removed in clinic by a doctor using appropriate medical-grade instruments and direct vision. This may include items such as cotton bud tips, earplug pieces, hearing aid domes, debris or insects.

An object left in the ear can cause pain, inflammation, bleeding, infection, reduced hearing, ear canal injury and, in some cases, eardrum damage. Prompt assessment helps reduce these risks.

No. Trying to remove an object yourself can push it deeper, scratch the ear canal or damage the eardrum. It is safer to have the ear assessed by an appropriately trained clinician.

If removal is not appropriate in clinic, your doctor will explain why and advise on the safest onward route. The priority is to protect the ear canal, eardrum and hearing.

The ear & hearing health check is a £30 doctor-led appointment designed to assess ear health first as part of the audiology pathway. Your doctor can examine the ears, consider medical contributors to hearing or tinnitus symptoms and, where appropriate, refer you to our in-house audiologist for a full hearing assessment or tinnitus management appointment.

Yes. If your doctor feels a full hearing assessment is appropriate after your ear & hearing health check, referral to our in-house audiologist can be arranged at no additional charge following that referral.

A full hearing assessment may include discussion of your lifestyle and medical history, otoscopy, tympanometry, pure tone audiometry and speech testing. The results help build a clear picture of your hearing needs and guide personalised advice.

A comprehensive hearing assessment usually takes around 60 to 75 minutes. This allows time for testing, explanation of results and discussion of recommendations.

No. If hearing aids may be beneficial, your options can be explained clearly by the audiologist, but there is no obligation to proceed.

Yes. Reduced hearing can be caused by wax, infection, inflammation, middle-ear pressure problems or age-related hearing change. This is why a doctor-led ear health assessment can be a useful first step.

Tinnitus is the perception of sound that does not come from an external source. It is often described as ringing, but may also be buzzing, humming, hissing, whooshing, roaring, beating or even musical sounds.

Yes. Tinnitus can affect one ear, both ears or feel as though it is coming from inside the head. One-sided tinnitus, pulsatile tinnitus, tinnitus with sudden hearing change, or tinnitus with new neurological symptoms requires further medical investigation by a doctor. In some cases, this may include referral for an MRI internal auditory meatus (IAMS) scan to assess the inner ear and related hearing pathways.

Yes. Where clinically appropriate, Nottingham Ear Clinic can provide access to a fast MRI IAMS scan, usually within a few days. The images are reviewed by a consultant radiologist and the report is sent to our doctors for review and follow-up advice.

Tinnitus can be associated with hearing loss, noise exposure, ear wax, ear infection, some medications, head or neck injury and certain chronic conditions. In many cases, the exact cause is not clear, but assessment can help identify treatable contributors.

Yes. The initial ear & hearing health check is £30. If your doctor feels audiology-led tinnitus management is appropriate, referral can be arranged at no additional charge following the doctor’s referral.

There is currently no single cure for tinnitus, but many people can manage it effectively with the right support. Management may include hearing assessment, treatment of wax or infection where present, hearing aids if hearing loss is found, sound enrichment, reassurance and coping strategies.

If tinnitus is associated with sudden hearing loss, new severe dizziness, facial weakness, severe headache, neurological symptoms, or a new pulsatile sound that beats in time with your heartbeat, please contact your GP, NHS 111, or call 999 in an emergency if symptoms are severe.

Yes. Nottingham Ear Clinic offers a full range of hearing protection and moulds, including general-use earplugs, custom-fit earplugs, musicians’ plugs, swimming plugs, shooting protection, motorsport plugs and in-ear monitor options. Your appointment helps identify the most suitable protection for your ears, lifestyle and noise exposure.

If you choose to purchase hearing protection directly through Nottingham Ear Clinic, the appointment and ear impressions, normally £30, are included in the product price. Your audiologist will explain the available options and help you choose protection that is appropriate for your ears, lifestyle and noise exposure.

Options may include general-use earplugs, custom-fit earplugs, sleeping earplugs, motorsport earplugs, shooting earplugs, musicians’ earplugs, in-ear monitors and swimming earplugs. The best option depends on noise levels, comfort, lifestyle and duration of use.

Repeated exposure to loud noise can damage delicate sensory cells in the inner ear, which do not regenerate once harmed. Appropriate protection helps reduce the risk of noise-related hearing damage while allowing you to continue everyday activities with confidence.

A general hearing-health guide is that ongoing exposure above around 85 decibels may increase the risk of hearing damage over time. As sound level rises, safe exposure time reduces rapidly, so appropriate ear protection is important in high-noise environments.

Payment information is confirmed at the time of booking. The clinic accepts major debit and credit cards, and payment may be taken online, by phone or at the clinic depending on the appointment type.

Yes. Where a doctor feels follow-up is clinically necessary, this will be explained during your appointment. For microsuction or ear infection care, the first clinically advised follow-up is usually offered free when booked within 2 weeks of your initial appointment.

Care or home visits may be available on request, depending on clinical suitability, availability and the type of appointment required. Additional charges may apply and will be confirmed before the appointment is arranged.

If symptoms worsen, or you develop severe pain, sudden hearing loss, significant dizziness, facial weakness, bleeding, swelling around the ear, rapidly spreading redness, or you feel very unwell, please contact your GP, NHS 111, or call 999 in an emergency. Do not wait for a routine clinic appointment if symptoms are severe or rapidly worsening.