Services
Adult Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and language therapists provide assessment and treatment of communication and swallowing difficulties in a variety of locations across Gloucestershire.
Therapists support inpatients and outpatients and may also provide home visits in exceptional circumstances.
If you are in hospital, the speech and language therapists will assess communication and/or swallowing difficulties on the ward and provide advice or treatment as appropriate.
Speech and language therapists will assess communication and/or swallowing difficulties at an out patient appointment and provide advice or treatment as appropriate.
The therapist may work with family members or carers to devise strategies to overcome some difficulties as appropriate.
One appointment may be sufficient to help the patient to manage their speech and/or swallowing independently or patients may need a course of 1-2-1 or group therapy.
Contact us
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Great Western Road
Gloucester
GL1 3NN
Telephone 0300 422 8105
Patients can be seen for:
- Voice therapy
- Stammering
- Aids to help with communication
- Communication/swallowing after stroke
- Communication/swallowing after a head injury
- Communication/swallowing associated with long term neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease
- Communication/swallowing after cancer of the head and neck
- Videofluroscopy – This is an x-ray which allows the speech and language therapist to view how a patient swallows, to assess the severity of the difficulty. Strategies may also be recommended to manage it. Videofluoroscopy may be requested whilst the patient is in hospital, or it can be arranged as an out-patient appointment
- Voice Clinic – specialist clinic where videos/photographs are taken of the larynx to help with treatment planning.
How to access speech and language therapy
Patients can be referred to us through their GP and other members of their healthcare and therapy team. We also welcome patients referring themselves, regardless of of age, language, presenting difficulty or location.
One exception applies – Voice disorders (dysphonia) – referral must be made following examination of the larynx by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon. This referral requires the patient’s consent.
Swallowing disorder referrals need to be made by a medical professional or a member of the MDT i.e. physiotherapist, nurse, social worker, dietician.
If you aren’t sure whether speech and language therapy could help you, please call us and ask to speak to a speech and language therapist who will be able to advise you.
Useful links
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)
www.rcslt.org
The RCSLT is the professional body for speech and language therapists and support workers, promoting excellence in practice and influencing health, education and social care policies.
Health Professions Council (HPC)
www.hpc-uk.org
The HPC is a statutory regulator that works to protect the health and well-being of people using the services of the health professionals registered with us. The HPC currently registers over 170,000 professionals from 13 professions. We only register professionals who meet our standards for their professional skills, behaviour and health.
Giving Voice
www.givingvoiceuk.org
GUiDE and Pals
www.palsglos.org.uk
The health, social care and disability information service for Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire Carers Hub
www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Gloucestershire Carers Hub provide support for carers aged 18 years or over.
Aphasia Now
www.aphasianow.org
Website created by people with aphasia and run by people with aphasia. It aims to be an aphasia-friendly website.
The Stroke Association
www.stroke.org.uk
The Stroke Association’s main focus is to prevent stroke and to support people who have had a stroke and their families. They do this by providing information and community services.
Different Strokes
www.differenstrokes.co.uk
Different Strokes is run by younger stroke survivors for younger stroke survivors
Speakability
www.speakability.org.uk
Information service and helpline
Multiple Sclerosis Society
www.mssociety.org.uk
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Association
www.pspeur.org
Motor Neurone Disease Association
www.mndassociation.org
Parkinson’s Disease Society
www.parkinsons.org.uk
The Huntington’s Disease Association
www.hda.org.uk
Headway
www.headway.org.uk
The charity that supports people with brain injury and those that care for them.
British Stammering Association
www.stammering.org
Communication Matters
www.communicationmatters.org.uk
A UK national voluntary organisation of members concerned with the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) needs of people with complex communication needs.
The British Voice Association
www.britishvoiceassociation.org.uk
Changing Faces
www.changingfaces.org.uk
Changing Faces is a national charity based in the UK that supports and represents people who have disfigurements of the face or body from any cause.
SpeechDisorder
www.speechdisorder.co.uk
SpeechDisorder contains over 60 articles written by a team of experts, concerning a variety of speech disorders.
GIRES
www.gires.org.uk
A charity that works closely with psychiatrists and Department of Health to support gender issues.
