The Adult Speech and Language Therapy service provides assessment, advice and support for people with swallowing, communication, voice and fluency (stammering) difficulties as a result of a wide range of conditions.
About The Service
Our Adult Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) service provide assessment, advice and support for people with swallowing, communication, voice and fluency (stammering) difficulties as a result of a wide range of conditions.
Our team works into the areas of acute medicine, rehabilitation, voice and fluency. We actively work towards supporting Gateshead residents to live fulfilled lives and remain safe and well in their community at all stages of their condition.
Who Do We See?
This service sees adults aged 18 years or older, who are registered with a Gateshead GP and do not have a confirmed Learning Disability Our service typically supports with the following:
- Swallowing (e.g. coughing or choking when eating and drinking)
- Language & Communication (word finding, or understanding others)
- Speech (slurring or reduced volume or intelligibility)
- Voice
- Stammering
Some of the more common disorders we work with to support are:
- Stroke
- Head Injury
- Dementia
- Cancer (including Brain Tumours and Head & Neck Cancer)
- Respiratory Conditions
- Motor Neurone Disease
- Parkinson’s and related Parkinsonian Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Huntington’s Disease
- Stammering
How To Be Seen by This Service
For community-based referrals, these are usually received from a health or social care professional, but we do welcome self-referrals and those from family and carers. Following receipt of your referral, we aim to contact you by telephone to find out more about your symptoms, triage the referral and ensure we direct your referral to the most appropriate part of the service.
If you are referred to us during a hospital stay by the ward team, we will visit you on the ward for your assessment. Following this, we will give advice to yourself, family/carers and ward staff. If you have any further need for our support on leaving hospital, we will arrange for this.
What To Expect at Your Appointment
Once your referral has been triaged you will receive an assessment appointment. Assessment may include one or more of the following depending on need identified:
- a ward visit
- home visit
- a clinic appointment
- a group session
What you can expect from us:
- Specialist and knowledgeable assessment of your SLT needs
- Bespoke advice including strategies and exercises as appropriate
- Proactive liaison with other relevant professionals involved in your care
- Onward referral as needed
What we expect from you:
In order to get the maximum benefit and the best possible outcomes, it is essential that the treatment programme and advice are followed. The key to success is following the plans beyond the appointment, and into everyday life.
Waiting Well
Sometimes you may have to wait longer to be seen by our service than we would like. Where possible, we may direct you to resources and interventions which you can try at home before your appointment. In some cases, this advice can help to maintain your wellbeing, reduce symptoms or provide ideas on things you can safely try yourself to overcome your problems.
Current Expected Waiting Times
We strive to see everyone who is referred to us in a timely manner. We prioritise our appointments on clinical need and risk, so some people will wait longer than others.
Waiting times for this service are updated here on a regular basis.
Currently you can expect to wait no longer than ____ weeks for an initial appointment.
Our Team
Our service is comprised of a team Speech and Language Therapists (HCPC registered) and Assistants with wide ranging experience and expertise within their clinical specialisms. We also have helpful Administrative support who aim to address or signpost your general queries.
What People Say About This Service
“It made such a difference to my voice – confidence was gained!”
“I would definitely recommend this service to friends and family, for people like myself”
“The service was brilliant. I liked the fact that we were kept in the loop throughout the process and supported to make decisions around my husband’s care”
Cancelling an Appointment
- If you need to cancel or rearrange an appointment, please call the service as soon as possible on 0191 445 2599 between 8:00am and 4:30pm.
- Cancelling appointments mean we may be able to offer an appointment to someone else who is waiting.
