Ear Wax removal - Qualifications and insurance required?

ConsumerWarrior

Would anyone know if specific medical qualifications are required by law to operate an ear wax removal service? Also what would the required public liability cover be?

My investigations so far reveal that there is no official body. The NHS no longer carries out this service. There are groups/companies that will offer training if you purchase their equipment.

BJV

Dr Google says that yes it is regulated by 

"CQC is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. CQC ensures that Clinic's provides patients with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality ear wax removal whilst also focusing on continually improving the ear wax removal services they provide."

But it also says that lots of ear wax companies choose not to be regulated. If you are looking for one if it was me I would want to go for a regulated one. 

BJV

Google also says the NHS stopped because of patient risk ????? Public liability would also be needed in case there was an accident and someone got hurt. Removing ear wax incorrectly could damage a patient's hearing or worse. 

Flugelhorn

BJV said:

Google also says the NHS stopped because of patient risk ????? Public liability would also be needed in case there was an accident and someone got hurt. Removing ear wax incorrectly could damage a patient's hearing or worse. 

it was certainly one of the biggest causes of claims against nurses - this is when most were using ear syringing and there were cases of drum damage. Microsuction with a clear view is rather safer. 

DullGreyGuy

ConsumerWarrior said:

Would anyone know if specific medical qualifications are required by law to operate an ear wax removal service? Also what would the required public liability cover be?

My investigations so far reveal that there is no official body. The NHS no longer carries out this service. There are groups/companies that will offer training if you purchase their equipment.

https://www.cqc.org.uk/news/providers/earwax-removal-treatments-do-you-need-register

According to the above, if you are doing it for medical reasons (ie a doctor, nurse etc has said there is a problem) then you must be appropriately registered. If you are doing it for people who just like the idea of it, it's their fetish or they are self diagnosed then anyone can do it.

If you need to be registered then there will almost certainly be minimum insurance requirements, if you aren't registered then it'll be your choice if you buy insurance or are willing to risk your home if something goes wrong and you dont have insurance. 

Undervalued

ConsumerWarrior said:

Would anyone know if specific medical qualifications are required by law to operate an ear wax removal service? Also what would the required public liability cover be?

My investigations so far reveal that there is no official body. The NHS no longer carries out this service. There are groups/companies that will offer training if you purchase their equipment.

None in most situations as others have indicated in the posts above.

There are surprisingly few regulated professions in the UK, where particular qualifications and / or membership of a recognised professional body is legally required to practice. 

There are others where a certain limited parts of a profession or trade can only be carried out by, or under the supervision of, a qualified and registered person. Some of those manage to give the impression that the regulated areas are actually more extensive than is the case.

Also there are certain job titles that are legally protected such as architect. As far as I know, whilst only a qualified and registered person can call themselves an architect, the services that they normally offer and lawfully be carried out by anybody as long as the call themselves something else - e.g. architectural designer!