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Speech & Language Therapy – Adult

Enhancing Communication and Swallowing: Adult Speech & Language Therapy for Acquired Disorders

Overview

Our Speech & Language Therapy service for adults provides comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management for individuals with acquired voice, speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders and difficulties.

Who Is This Service For? Eligibility Criteria

This service is available to adults (18+) who are registered with a GP in the NHS Mid Essex area and have acquired conditions that affect their communication or swallowing abilities.

Service Details

We specialize in treating individuals with acquired voice, speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders and difficulties. These conditions can arise from various causes, including:

  • Stroke
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Dementia
  • Critical care
  • Chest infections
  • Aspiration pneumonia
  • Dehydration and nutritional compromise
  • Head and neck cancer
  • Voice pathologies
  • End-of-life care
  • Long-term conditions, including neurological ones such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, and multiple sclerosis.

We address associated speech and language pathologies, including aphasia, dysphagia, dysarthria, dyspraxia, cognitive language processing difficulties, and dysphonia. Please note that we do not provide treatment for developmental disorders that persist into adulthood.

Our approach is patient-centered, and we create individualized care packages based on the specific needs of our patients, whether they are inpatients, outpatients, or receiving care in acute, intermediate, or community settings. We also offer training to other healthcare professionals to help them screen for dysphagia and manage patients with communication and swallowing difficulties. Additionally, we host Speech & Language Therapy students for clinical placements to enhance their clinical skills.

Service Delivery

We offer sessions throughout the week, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Our services include a range of scheduled appointments, such as individual sessions, group workshops, and home visits.

Our outpatient treatment sessions are conducted at various clinics in Chelmsford, Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford (for voice appointments only), Braintree Community Hospital, and St Peter’s Hospital in Maldon. Inpatient care is provided at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, St Peter’s Hospital in Maldon, and Braintree Community Hospital.

Referral Process

You can be referred to our service by any healthcare professional, such as a GP, district nurse, health visitor, or dentist. Alternatively, you can refer yourself directly using the contact details provided on this page. However, please note the following requirements for specific conditions:

  • Dysphagia patients: Medical consent for assessment is necessary, so please consult a member of your multi-disciplinary team.
  • Voice patients: You must have undergone a laryngeal examination by an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) consultant or a suitably qualified practitioner.
  • Head and neck cancer patients: Referrals are made by your medical/nursing team as part of a tumor staging and management plan.

We aim to contact you within 18 weeks of receiving your referral.

What Do Patients Say? Customer Survey Results

Our patients have shared their positive experiences with our service:

  • 100% found the clinic clean.
  • 100% had confidence in their therapist.
  • 100% appreciated the professional approach of their therapist.
  • 100% understood the information provided by the therapist and felt it was delivered in an understandable manner.
  • 100% felt respected and involved in decisions about their care and treatment.

Self Pay Services

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria for our NHS services or require additional support, our subsidiary, Provide Wellbeing, offers flexible, affordable, and high-quality self-pay services, including Adult Speech and Language Therapy. For more information, please visit our website.

This service can be accessed through our Care Co-ordination Centre

Available Monday to Friday
8am to 6pm

Call Us

0300 1310 111

Contact Us

If you are registered with SystmOnline you will be able to view your own Electronic Medical Record (EMR), manage your appointments, request repeat medication, update contact details and message your healthcare service. There is also a SystmOnline app available for Apple and Android devices.

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