Adult Speech and Language Therapy

General introduction

We provide assessment, therapy and support for people who have acquired difficulties with communication and/or swallowing (known as dysphagia).

We work across the following areas:

Inpatient wards

We work with the multi-disciplinary team to support safe feeding for patients on our wards who have acute swallowing and/or communication difficulties, caused by a wide range of neurological problems. We can also provide support on communication skills to some patients.

Stroke Unit (Ward B14) 

We work with people who have swallowing and/or communication difficulties as a result of stroke including: 

• dysphasia – difficulties with spoken language, understanding, reading and writing
• dysarthria – difficulty with speech caused by a weakness of the muscles required for speech
• dyspraxia – difficulty coordinating muscles to make the sounds needed for clear speech

Community 

We work with residents in their own homes and in residential and nursing homes when they experience swallowing and/or communication difficulties as a result of stroke, head and neck cancer or acquired brain injury (ABI) and/or progressive disorders such as motor neurone disease (MND), Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), Huntington's disease (HD) and others.

We do not currently provide a service to individuals with communication difficulties related to dementia.

Outpatient clinic

People with voice disorders (hoarse voice or loss of voice known as dysphonia) are seen in outpatient clinics for assessment, therapy programmes, support and advice. We also provide therapy to people who have had a voice box removed due to cancer (laryngectomy) and clients going through gender re-assignment.

Patients with stammering (dysfluent speech) are seen in an outpatient clinic.