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

  Earlier this year, the UK government committed to developing an action plan to address long ‐ standing concerns about the availability of speech and language therapy. As a community we were hopeful that families and professionals had finally been heard and that change was coming. But as the months have passed, the promised plan still hasn’t materialised. The background Speech and language therapy has long been considered a ‘postcode lottery’, with too many people unable to access timely and effective support. Even before the pandemic, only 15% of respondents to a 2018 survey by I CAN and RCSLT felt that SLT was available for children and young people as required. Although the issues are longstanding, the situation has been further exacerbated by the pandemic, with services disrupted by staff sickness, difficulties accessing children and families and staff redeployment. Already recognised pre-pandemic as a shortage profession , SLT service managers have reported ...

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...

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...