Fifth Sense and ENT UK announce strategic partnership to improve care for people affected by smell and taste disorders

17 November 2023 (Last updated: 17 Nov 2023 10:40)

Fifth Sense and ENT UK are delighted to announce a strategic partnership focused on improving care for people affected by smell and taste disorders. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has generated significant awareness of these under-recognised sensory impairments, whilst leaving large numbers of people with ongoing smell and taste dysfunction as a symptom of Long Covid. It has also highlighted the many challenges faced by all those living with impaired smell and taste, including the lack of routine testing and effective treatments.   In addition, it has highlighted the need for better education for healthcare professionals and a significant increase in research to improve knowledge and understanding and accelerate the steps to new treatments.  

Fifth Sense and ENT UK will work together to help address these issues, ensuring that ENT professionals give patients and their families the support they need, including signposting them to Fifth Sense’s Support and Information Service. The two organisations will also work to improve education on smell and taste disorders for ENT professionals and trainees, and encourage ENT UK members to initiate new research projects that respond to the priorities established through the Fifth Sense Smell and Taste Disorders Priority Setting Partnership.  Another important goal will be to encourage more ENT clinics in the UK to offer routine smell testing as part of consultations. 

Fifth Sense is also making a commitment to supporting the start-up of new ENT-led specialist smell and taste services, as the charity did with the Smell Disorders and Allergies Clinic at Royal Gloucestershire Hospital in 2022. 

‘Fifth Sense has worked closely with ENT UK members since our inception and these relationships have been vital to ensuring that people with smell and taste disorders get better care’ said Fifth Sense Chief Executive Duncan Boak.  ‘This important partnership will facilitate closer working with ENT UK and its members and help us drive towards the changes that the people we represent are calling for.  I’m very pleased that ENT UK is making a commitment to working with Fifth Sense to address the needs and challenges faced by people with smell and taste disorders and I am looking forward to us working together’.

Katie Nurcombe, ENT UK CEO said ‘ENT UK is delighted to be working with Fifth Sense in order to promote education and training on this very important subject amongst patients and doctors.  Fifth Sense have identified a number of interesting and important research topics and we hope this collaboration will help initiate new research projects and identify funding opportunities.’