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Well Pharmacy is launching a hearing care service in 321 of its branches in the UK.

The chain, which has 650 pharmacies across the country, said the new service will provide free ear health and hearing checks, advice, private earwax removal and onward referral for specialist audiology support if necessary.

Well, who are collaborating on the initiative with TympaHealth, a team of doctors and technology experts, said its “trained ear care practitioners” will deliver the service, which includes a £50 patient fee for earwax removal for both ears.

Well said the service “aims to make looking after ear and hearing health a more routine part of everyday healthcare, encouraging people to give their hearing the same attention they give to their eyesight, dental health or blood pressure”.

The founder of TympaHealth, Dr Krishan Ramdoo, said: “By giving trained pharmacy teams the tools to assess ear and hearing health and identify when further support may be needed, we can help move care closer to patients while strengthening pharmacy’s role in prevention and early intervention.

“Our recent research found that over a quarter of people, 28 per cent, were unaware that ear and hearing health issues can be assessed and triaged by a pharmacist, while 18 per cent said they waited between four to six months to be treated by a healthcare professional.”

Well is also working with the Alzheimer’s Society to improve awareness of dementia in local communities and the support available to help sufferers.

“The partnership includes Dementia Friends training and signposting to appropriate support for people affected by dementia, their families and carers,” Well said.

Well Pharmacy’s chief retail officer Andrew Caplan said: “We know that hearing difficulties can contribute to social isolation and that hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of dementia.

“Our partnership with Alzheimer’s Society reflects our commitment to supporting people affected by dementia and helping our teams better understand their needs.

“Making hearing care more accessible is another important part of that wider ambition to support healthier ageing and help people maintain their independence and quality of life.”