Private healthcare from an NHS Trust

Private Grommet Insertion In The South West

Restore hearing, prevent infections, and treat glue ear with confidence

Fixed-Price Package

Private grommet insertion for adults and children at Royal Devon Private Healthcare combines NHS clinical standards with enhanced access and personalised support, all delivered on our NHS hospital sites.

After your initial consultation, your package will include:

  • Pre-assessment: Surgery pre-assessment, including any tests needed
  • Surgery and theatre: Anaesthetics, theatre time, recovery, and inpatient stay
  • Care plan with medication and recovery advice
  • Follow up appointment at 2-3 weeks
Indicative price

£ Available on enquiry

Private grommet surgery at Royal Devon Private Healthcare provides safe, expert care for adults and children with persistent glue ear, recurrent ear infections, or hearing difficulties.

We offer shorter waiting times, personalised care plans, and follow-up tailored to you or your child, all within a trusted NHS hospital environment.

Private grommet surgery is an effective procedure in which tiny ventilation tubes are gently inserted into the eardrum to help drain fluid and equalise pressure in the middle ear.

Our private service offers:

  • Highly trained and experienced NHS medical teams
  • Reduced waiting times
  • Newly equipped NHS hospital
  • All profits reinvested into NHS facilities and patient care

Consultation:

Within 7–10 days*

To procedure:

Typically within 2–6 weeks*

Self-pay package

Fixed-price package

Private grommet insertion for adults and children at Royal Devon Private Healthcare combines NHS clinical standards with enhanced access and personalised support, all delivered on our NHS hospital sites.

After your initial consultation, your package will include:

  • Pre-assessment: Surgery pre-assessment, including any tests needed
  • Surgery and theatre: Anaesthetics, theatre time, recovery, and inpatient stay
  • Care plan with medication and recovery advice
  • Follow up appointment at 2-3 weeks
Indicative price

£ Available on enquiry

icon:Facilities
NHS Facilities & Procedures
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NHS Clinicians
icon:waiting list
Reduced Waiting Times
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Convenient Care
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Reinvestment in the NHS

Pricing Breakdown Illustration

What's included

One-to-one consultation

You’ll meet with one of our experienced consultant ENT surgeons to review you or your child’s medical history, any previous illnesses, and relevant scan or test results. Your consultant will explain the grommet procedure, answer your questions, and confirm a personalised treatment plan.

Procedure scheduling

Once the treatment plan is agreed, our team will schedule the grommet operation at a convenient time for you. We aim to minimise waiting times while maintaining NHS-level standards, giving fast access to safe, private surgical care.

Pre-assessment

Before the operation, we will arrange a pre-operative assessment where medical history is reviewed and any necessary tests, such as blood work, are completed. You’ll also meet the anaesthetic team.

Procedure

Grommet insertion is performed under general anaesthetic, so the patient will be completely asleep during the procedure. The operation usually takes around 15–30 minutes. Once in theatre, the surgeon carefully makes a tiny opening in the eardrum and inserts the grommet to allow fluid to drain and equalise pressure.

Follow-up

Most patients go home on the same day. You will receive guidance on pain relief, keeping the ear dry, and gradually resuming normal activities. Follow-up appointments are arranged to ensure the grommets are functioning correctly and to provide any additional support if needed.

Your Grommet Insertion Pathway

1.Initial enquiry or referral

2. one-to-one consultation

3. Pre-operative assessment

4. Grommet insertion

5. Short hospital stay (same day or overnight)

6. Follow-up

Meet Our Grommet Insertion Specialists

Mr Joel A Smith

Consultant ENT, Head, Neck and Thyroid Surgeon

MD, FRCS (ORL-HNS), DOHNS, MBChB, BMedSc

Professor Malcolm Hilton

Consultant Otolaryngologist

MA BMBCh FRCS(Eng) FRCS(ORL-HNS)

Grommet Insertion FAQs

What are grommets?

Grommets are tiny ventilation tubes that are gently inserted into the eardrum to help drain fluid and equalise pressure in the middle ear. They are a common and safe treatment for adults and children who have persistent fluid in the ears (glue ear), repeated ear infections, or hearing difficulties.

Grommets are usually recommended for people who experience ongoing fluid in the middle ear, frequent ear infections, or hearing loss that affects speech, learning, or concentration. Enlarged adenoids, allergies, or recurrent colds can contribute to these problems.

Most patients are able to go home on the same day as their grommet insertion.

Recovery is generally very quick. Most patients return to normal activities within a day or two. Aftercare advises keeping ears dry and following any instructions from the care team to support healing and ensure the grommets function correctly.

Yes, grommets are temporary. They usually remain in place for several months and fall out naturally as the eardrum heals. Most adults and children continue to benefit from improved hearing and fewer infections even after the grommets have come out.

Yes, you can accompany your child to the theatre, staying with them until they are safely asleep. Your child is closely monitored by the surgical and anaesthetic team at every step.

The procedure is carried out under general anaesthetic, so your child will be completely asleep and feel no pain during surgery. Mild ear discomfort, a sense of fullness, or temporary fluid discharge is common in the first few days after surgery, but it usually settles quickly.

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