Grommet surgery not under threat

Recent headlines across the media have suggested that the NHS plan to cut some “ineffective” routine surgeries to save money. One of the treatments supposedly under threat is grommet surgery for children with glue ear.

We are aware that some of our members have raised concerns about the impact of these cuts on deaf children. However, we don’t feel that the headlines are a true reflection of the NHS proposals. We have read the draft consultation proposed by the NHS and it is clear that grommet surgery will still be available to all children who meet the current guidelines. It seems that the proposed changes are a way of making health professionals adhere more closely to these guidelines, rather than an attempt to stop the procedure altogether.

The selection criteria outlined in the proposal are:

• All children must have had specialist audiology and ENT assessment.
• Persistent bilateral otitis media with effusion (glue ear) over a period of 3 months.
• Hearing level in the better ear of 25-30dbHL or worse averaged at 0.5, 1, 2, & 4 kHz
• Exceptionally, healthcare professionals should consider grommets in children with persistent glue ear in both ears with a hearing loss less than 25- 30dbHL, where the impact of the hearing loss on a child’s developmental, social or educational status is judged to be significant.
• The guidance is different for children with Down’s Syndrome and Cleft Palate, these children may be offered grommets after a specialist MDT assessment in line with NICE guidance.
• It is also good practice to ensure glue ear has not resolved once a date of surgery has been agreed, with tympanometry as a minimum.

We feel that these guidelines are appropriate and we are not currently concerned that there will be a negative impact on the selection process. We don’t expect that it will be harder for families to access grommet surgery for their child; if it’s clinically necessary and their choice of intervention. If families have had issues getting the right treatment for their child we do, however, urge them to contact our Helpline.

The NHS consultation will be published soon and we will be responding to the final version. We will also closely monitor how the proposals are implemented locally. If anyone is concerned about the availability of grommet surgery in their local area please contact our Helpline or the Campaigns team at [email protected].