Speech and Language Therapy for Adults

We see patients at clinics across our hospital sites. Our team also sees patients in nursing homes, residential settings and in their own homes where appropriate.

We work with specialists in the Head Injury Service and the Community Neurorehabilitation Unit. 

How to get a referral

You can use an open referral system if you have communication difficulties. You’ll need a medical referral if you have swallowing difficulties.

How we treat your condition

We use different methods depending on your individual circumstances.

Intensive swallowing therapy

We use the McNeill intensive swallowing therapy for stroke patients, or those who have head and neck cancer. It’s effective in more severe cases and can help prevent feeding via your stomach.

Teletherapy

It’s for patients who have problems communicating following a stroke or head injury. You’ll complete a series of online speech and language therapy exercises at home that our clinicians review and adapt as your therapy progresses.

We offer this service alongside face-to-face therapy with a clinician at the hospital.

Teletherapy helps you to:

• have tailored exercises to suit your specific needs
• gain independence
• take ownership of your rehabilitation
• do therapy exercises at a time that suits you.

Group therapy 

We help people in a group setting with communication difficulties after having a stroke. We recommend patients for group therapy depending on their individual therapy goals.

Communication groups 

We provide long term support for people with aphasia in community centres in Wycombe, Amersham and Aylesbury. Therapy includes communication activities, music and exercise, and social events.

Useful links

• advice and support for patients with motor neurone disease
• support for stroke patients
• help and advice for patients with Parkinson’s
• support for dementia patients and their families
• support for people living with MS

We provide one-to-one support for adults aged over 18 who stammer. We help you to improve previously learnt techniques and build your confidence for upcoming events, for example job interviews and presentations.

If you want to improve your speech techniques further, we recommend speech and language courses by specialist providers such as CityLit.

How to get a referral

We accept direct referrals from patients but suggest talking to your GP about a referral to speech and language therapy. We may need to speak to your GP about funding for intensive specialist courses.

We help adults and children from 5 years old who have lost their voice, suffer with hoarseness, throat discomfort or have swallowing difficulties from:

• structural abnormalities of the larynx (voice box)
• muscle tension affecting the larynx
• neurological conditions
• surgical intervention (for example, nerve injuries).

We see people at outpatient clinics at Amersham, Wycombe, Thame and Stoke Mandeville Hospitals.

How to get a referral

We don’t accept direct referrals from patients or from your GP.

Our ENT team who will assess and diagnose you, and refer you for voice therapy.

When we get a referral from ENT, we’ll call you to arrange an appointment. We’ll send you a letter which will include details of your therapist and how to contact them.

How we treat your condition

One-to-one voice therapy 

In your first session, we’ll assess you and look at your case history. We can usually help with your symptoms in around 6 sessions which include:

• advice and information about your diagnosis and how the normal voice works
• advice about improving your vocal health
• voice exercises to improve your vocal technique and voice quality
• recommendation to specialist services.

Voice stroboscopy clinics 

We work with our ENT team to look in detail at how your larynx (voice box) works. This helps us to provide therapy that’s tailored to your individual needs.

Videofluoroscopy  

We look in detail at your swallowing functions using a moving image (x-ray). It helps us tailor a course of therapy that meets your needs.

Laryngeal manual therapy 

A form of gentle massage around your larynx which helps reduce muscle tension.

Intensive swallowing therapy 

We use the McNeill intensive swallowing therapy for more severe cases where other forms of therapy may not have worked.

Laryngectomy care 

If you have had your larynx removed you won’t be able to speak normally, because you will no longer have vocal cords. We’ll help you to restore your voice by showing you specialist speaking techniques.

Useful links

• Chiltern Chatterbox Club 
• The British Voice Association  
• Voice Care Network 

We see patients with acute swallowing and communication problems caused by damage from conditions including a stroke.

It’s likely that you’re an inpatient at Wycombe, Stoke Mandeville or Amersham Hospitals. We see patients on wards including;

• Stroke Units
• Cardiology
• Medicine for Older People
• Critical Care Unit
• National Spinal Injuries Centre
• Neurorehabilitation Unit.

How to get a referral

We assess patients in hospital with oro-pharyngeal dysphagia (swallowing problems in your mouth or throat). Once we have assessed you, we’ll record our advice in your clinical notes and any diet or fluid modifications on a yellow sign above your bed.

How we treat your condition

We use different methods depending on your individual circumstances.

Videofluoroscopy

We look in detail at your swallowing functions using a moving image (x-ray). It helps us tailor a course of therapy that meets your needs. It’s for patients who already have a diagnosis.

Diagnostic and therapeutic treatment

If we don’t know what has caused your swallowing problems, we’ll see you at our clinic at Wycombe Hospital.