Waiting and Access in Therapy - Understanding Perspectives in SLT (#WaitUpSLT)

What is a research advisory group, and why should I get involved? A research advisory group is made up of people with lived experience who work alongside researchers to help guide and shape a project. By getting involved, you’ll have the chance to: Influence how the research is designed and carried out—especially research focused on the views of parents, caregivers, children, and young people. Be part of a co-productive approach, where researchers and participants work together as equal partners. Connect with others who care about similar issues. Learn more about how research works and how your insights can make it better. Research is stronger and more meaningful when the people it affects are involved in shaping it - and that’s exactly what advisory groups are for. Who can take part? For this phase of the research, I’m looking for adults who: Are a parent or caregiver to a child or young person with communication and/or swallowing needs. You might be a biological...

In short? Not a lot. In the recently released 171-page NHS 10-Year Health Plan, ‘speech and language’ is mentioned just three times . Of those, only one refers directly to speech and language therapy (SLT); the other two relate to broader speech and language support. Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) fare only slightly better, with eight mentions - most of which speak in general terms about the value AHPs bring to healthcare and patient outcomes. (See all relevant excerpts below). In contrast, there are 60 references to waiting , including 11 specific references to 'waiting lists' and 8 references to 'waiting time'. The topic is centred through the publication, evidenced in the foreword by the Prime Minister Keir Starmer who writes: It is no exaggeration to say that we inherited an NHS facing the worst crisis in its history. Across the country, people are stuck on waiting lists for years on end . Our fabulous NHS staff let down by endless bureaucracy. And a society tha...

Research should be designed and carried out in partnership with the communities that it seeks to represent.  WAIT-UP SLT therefore adopts a participatory research approach, centring the value of genuine and meaningful participation and direct collaboration with those affected by the issue under consideration  (Vaughn and Jacquez, 2020); in this instance: 1. children and young people 2. parents and caregivers  3.  individuals working within speech and language therapy teams .  A key element of the participatory research approach within WAIT-UP SLT is the recruitment of advisory groups  who will act as partners, inputting into the design, delivery, evaluation and dissemination of the project. What does being an advisory group member involve? You would be asked to attend online meetings with me and other advisory group members to discuss how the research should be designed, carried out, evaluated and shared. The meetings would take place over Microsoft Teams ...

Yesterday NHS England celebrated treatment waiting lists dropping to a 26-month low , making reference to "a bold package of reforms to help drive down NHS waiting lists". The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, stated " This is not a coincidence – it is because this government has delivered on the Plan for Change and put in the work to finally get our NHS moving in the right direction. "  So what does this mean for children and young people waiting for speech and language therapy support? Since March 2023, NHS England have published monthly data on waiting lists and waiting times for community health services , providing some long-awaited external transparency to these areas. During this time the total number of children and young people waiting for speech and language therapy support has ranged from 61,739 (August 2023) to 76,331 (May 2024). The latest available data indicates that 68,185 children and young people were waiting for support...

It feels rather odd to be creating a whole post 'about me'; somewhat egocentric.  I do, however, believe that people should be able to know a bit about the people who are leading research studies and what they bring to the table.  Whilst research is frequently painted as an objective, arms-length affair, research can also be considered to be highly personal, with researchers often personally and professionally invested in the topic, methods and outcomes of their projects. Researchers are therefore encouraged to reflect upon what has led them to where they are now through an ongoing process of considering positionality and engaging in reflexivity (Shepherd et al, 2022). Part of this process has been and will continue to be reflected within my written work and through my conversations with supervisors but it's important to me to continue this process as I start to share this work more publicly. So, a bit about me. Despite having had speech and language therapy (SLT) support a...

Waiting and Access In Therapy - Understanding Perspectives in Speech and Language Therapy (WAIT-UP SLT) is a multi-stage research project that aims to explore perspectives and experiences of waiting in children's speech and language therapy services in England.  Whilst speech and language therapy waiting lists and times have long been a source of concern, there has been limited attention paid to this issue specifically within academic and published research. This project aims to address this gap by exploring the perspectives and experiences of: Individuals working within speech and language therapy teams (including speech and language therapists, speech and language therapy assistants, managers and services leads and administrative and clerical staff Parents and caregivers Children and young people Each phase will be designed in collaboration with advisory groups to ensure that the research is relevant, fit for purpose and as accessible as possible.  It is hoped that through t...