Ear infections and glue ear
Repeated ear infections, fluid behind the eardrum in children and ears that feel blocked, sore or full.
Ear, nose and throat care for children and adults
Wrenford ENT Clinic sees blocked sinuses, hearing changes, repeated tonsillitis, snoring and voice problems. Our specialists look, listen and explain before suggesting anything, and an operation is only one of the options we talk through.
From age 1children and adults
Same visithearing test when needed
Saturdaya clinic just for children
- Children from their first birthday
- Hearing tests on site
- Voice clinic on Wednesdays
- Late appointments twice a week
The first appointment: a look, a listen and a plan
The specialist begins by asking what has been happening and for how long, then looks in the ears, nose and throat with a bright light. For a closer view inside the nose or at the voice box, a thin flexible camera may be passed gently through a nostril after a numbing spray; it feels odd for about a minute rather than painful, and you can ask to stop.
If hearing is part of the problem, a test in our sound booth can be done the same day. You leave knowing what was seen and which options make sense, from watching and waiting to medicines or surgery, with a letter for your own doctor if you want one.
- Camera pictures shown on screen as we look
- Allow forty five minutes for a first visit
- Bring your medicines list and any earlier test results
Problems we treat, from ear to throat
People come to us with symptoms, not diagnoses. Find the one that sounds like yours.
Hearing changes and ringing
A gradual drop in hearing, ringing or buzzing in one or both ears, and hearing that seems muffled after a cold.
Sinus and nose problems
A blocked or runny nose that will not clear, sinus pain, nasal polyps and nosebleeds that keep coming back.
Tonsils and adenoids
Repeated tonsillitis, large adenoids and the snoring or mouth breathing they can cause in children.
Voice and swallowing
Hoarseness lasting more than three weeks, a strained voice from teaching or singing, and food that feels stuck.
Snoring and dizziness
Loud snoring, pauses in breathing at night and spinning dizziness that may come from the inner ear.
A hoarse voice for more than three weeks, a lump in the neck or hearing loss in one ear should always be checked by a doctor.
Sudden loss of hearing, difficulty breathing, a child who is drooling and cannot swallow, or a nosebleed that has not stopped after 20 minutes of firm pressure: dial your local emergency number, or head to the nearest emergency department, now.
Appointments and starting prices
Illustrative prices for patients paying for themselves. Surgery is always quoted in writing after a consultation.
Adult consultation
from$220
Forty five minutes with an ENT specialist, examination included.
- Camera check if needed
- Written summary
- Letter to your doctor on request
Child consultation
from$190
A longer, gentler visit, with the adult who brings them close by.
- Tools shown before use
- Play corner nearby
- Saturday clinic
Hearing test
from$95
Tests in a sound booth, with results explained straight away.
- Adults and children
- Results the same day
- Ear pressure test included
Voice clinic
from$240
A specialist and a speech therapist look at the voice box together.
- Camera look at the vocal cords
- A recording to keep
- Exercises to take home
Grommets, tonsil removal and sinus surgery are quoted in writing once you have been seen. Cover from insurers and public health services, and the need for a referral, vary by country and by policy.
When the patient is small
Children are seen in a room with toys, picture books and a chair big enough for a parent and child together. The specialist explains each step to the child first, in words that fit their age, and shows the light and the tools before using them.
Glue ear, repeated tonsillitis and snoring are the commonest reasons children come to us. Watching and waiting is often part of the plan, and when grommets or tonsil surgery are suggested, you get written information to read at home before deciding anything.
- A parent or carer stays throughout
- Hearing tests played as a game
- After school times on Tuesday and Thursday
Rooms you will see on the day
Everything is on one floor above the pharmacy, reached by stairs or a lift big enough for a buggy.
Book an ENT appointment
Pick the appointment, say who it is for and suggest a date and whether mornings or afternoons are easier. Reception answers within one working day by phone or email, and tells you if your insurer or health service needs a referral first.
This form is not for emergencies. Sudden hearing loss needs a doctor today; breathing problems or bleeding that will not stop need your local emergency number.
- Children seen with a parent or carer
- Late slots on Tuesday and Thursday
- Nothing is fixed until reception offers a time
From parents and patients (example reviews)
The doctor showed our son the little light and let him hold the ear tool first. No tears, and the grommets were explained in words a six year old could follow.
The camera look was over sooner than expected, and the pictures on the screen made the polyps easy to understand. Options were explained, with no pressure.
Months of a hoarse voice, finally looked at properly. The recording from the voice clinic was a useful thing to take home and practise with.
Asked at the front desk
Is the nose camera uncomfortable?
It feels odd rather than painful. A numbing spray goes into the nose first, the camera is thinner than a drinking straw and the look takes about a minute. You can ask to stop at any time.
Should a child with glue ear have grommets?
Not always. Glue ear often clears by itself over a few months, so watching and waiting with hearing checks is a common first step. If it lasts, or affects speech or school, the specialist talks through grommets and hearing support with you.
When should someone go straight to emergency care?
Breathing difficulty, a child drooling and unable to swallow, a nosebleed that will not stop with 20 minutes of firm pressure, or swelling of the face or tongue: call your local emergency number. Sudden loss of hearing should be seen by a doctor the same day.
Can people book here directly, or through their doctor?
Both, in many places. Paying for yourself, you can usually book directly; insurers and public health services often ask for a referral letter first, and those rules are set differently in each country.
Can snoring be looked into here?
Yes. The specialist checks the nose and throat for anything that narrows the airway and asks about pauses in breathing at night. Depending on what is found, the next step may be a sleep study, changes to daily habits, a mouth device or, now and then, surgery.
Are children seen by the same specialists as adults?
Yes, by specialists who see children every week and run the Saturday clinic. Appointments for children are longer, and a parent or carer sits beside the child the whole time.
Finding Wrenford
Wrenford occupies the floor over a pharmacy on the main shopping street. A lift by the side door fits a buggy, and the play corner is just inside.
Reception
Rooms one floor up, over a pharmacy on the main shopping street, with a lift, a buggy park and a play corner in the waiting area
Clinic hours
| Mon, Wed and Fri | 08:30 to 17:00 |
| Tue and Thu | 08:30 to 19:00 |
| Saturday, children | 09:00 to 12:00 |
| Sunday | Closed |
Sudden hearing loss or breathing trouble
Sudden hearing loss needs a doctor the same day, even out of hours. For breathing problems, heavy bleeding or chest pain, call your local emergency number straight away.