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The Adult Speech and Language Therapy service supports people with communication and swallowing difficulties.

The team have a particular focus on long-term conditions such as stroke, parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease.

The service aims to:

  • Assess and treat communication and swallowing difficulties
  • Provide information and education about communication and swallowing difficulties
  • Support patients and carers adjust to life with communication and/or swallowing difficulties
  • Agree goals for therapy with the patient and family in order to maximise independence with swallowing and communication.
  • Liaise with other health and social care professionals, social support services and charities, in providing optimum care e.g. physiotherapy, Motor Neurone Disease Association. 

Areas of therapy

  • Communication and/or swallowing difficulties related to neurological conditions e.g. Parkinson's disease, brain tumours, stroke
  • Communication and/or swallowing difficulties related to other medical or surgical conditions.
  • Dysfluency.

NB Communication problems may include difficulties with any of the following: speech, language expression & comprehension, reading and/ or writing. 

Appointments

  • Appointments are held at Wayside Surgery or Consort House via video consultation or in the home when the patient is unable to attend a clinic
  • Appointments will last approximately 60 minutes
  • An assessment may be followed by a period of therapy with goals agreed by both the patient and speech & language therapist. 
  • Individual or group therapy may be available 
  • As part of an agreed therapy programme, regular home practice may be required. 

The service is not commissioned to provide support for:

  • Learning disabilities. Refer to Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation 01737 281 007
  • Voice disorders (dysphonia). Refer to the Adult Speech and Language Therapy team at East Surrey Hospital, 01737 768 511 ext 6086
  • Head and neck cancer. Refer to the Adult Speech and Language Therapy team at Royal Surrey Hospital, Guildford 01483 417 400 ext 4492.

Other services we offer:

  • Social Communication Therapy Group supporting people with communication difficulties after brain injury e.g. stroke, in the group setting;
  • Motor Neurone Disease Forum collaborating with numerous services across health & social care, also the MNDA charity, to support people living with motor neurone disease and their families;
  • Conversation Partner Scheme collaborating with the Tandridge Voluntary Services Council to support conversations of people living with communication difficulties at home;
  • Parkinson's Disease Communication Therapy Group working with Parkinson's UK to support communication in people living with Parkinson's disease
  • The Loud Crowd monthly communication support group for people living with Parkinson's disease, assisted by Parkinson's UK;
  • Stammering Therapy Group supporting people who stammer and allowing experiences to be shared;
  • Aphasia Awareness Training to increase knowledge of communication difficulty in people living with aphasia and how to provide support, involving staff throughout the organisation;
  • Care Home Training to increase awareness and understanding in care staff of how to support swallowing difficulties.

Useful links

The MS Society

www.mssociety.org.uk, Tel: 0208 438 0700,  supportercare@mssociety.org.uk

The Stroke Association

www.stroke.org.uk, Surrey Stroke Recovery Service, Tel: 0207 566 1531, Email:  Surreystrokerecovery@stroke.org.uk 

Parkinson's UK

www.parkinsons.org.uk, Helpline: 0808 800 0303

Dyscover

Dyscover is a local charity providing support for people with aphasia and their families.

www.dyscover.org.uk, Email:  info@dyscover.org.uk

Referral criteria

  • Age over 18 years
  • Registered with an east Surrey GP
  • Concerns about communication and/or swallowing
  • Patient and carer wish and agree to the service.

Who can refer me?

  • GPs
  • Other speech and language therapists
  • Other health and social care professionals working with acquired neurological conditions.

How to make a self-referral

You can find details of how to make a referral here: https://www.firstcommunityhealthcare.co.uk/speech-and-language-therapy 

Adult Speech and Language Therapy contact details:

For further information about the Speech and Language service please contact:

 

First Community provides front-line NHS community healthcare services in east Surrey and parts of West Sussex.

We provide first-rate care, through our first-rate people, offering first-rate value. For more information visit:  www.firstcommunityhealthcare.co.uk

If you would like this information in another format, for example large print or easy read, or if you need help communicating with us, please contact:

First Community (Head Office)

Call: 01737 775450 Email:  fchc.enquiries@nhs.net  Text: 07814 639034

Address: First Community Health and Care, Consort House, 5-7 Queensway, Redhill RH1 1YB.

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