My name is Lynne and for 25 years I worked as an NHS audiologist. I have always found my job to be highly rewarding as well as challenging and after several years in a senior position in my employment role, I decided that I wanted to get back to doing more of the work I like best; helping people directly with face-to-face appointments.

I am concerned at the increasing challenges people are now having accessing services to get assessment and treatment for hearing problems; with longer waiting times for NHS services and sometimes difficulties getting to see a GP or practise nurse to have an ear wax check and onward referral. Many GP practises have also had to withdraw the provision of irrigation for ear wax management and are instead advising people to try home treatments or look for services on the High Street.

Many private hearing aid dispensers provide excellent services, but wax removal can be very costly and people attending NHS audiology appointments have told me that they wanted to seek a second opinion about their hearing test results as they felt a hearing aid dispenser might be motivated by a desire to sell hearing aids.