Speech and language therapy

Speech and language therapy (SALT) is one of the types of therapy we use at the Royal Free London. It is provided on the NHS to help patients with communication or swallowing problems that are physically based.

People with a wide variety of conditions can be helped by a speech and language therapist, from those with vocal disorders like a stammer to patients with serious neurological conditions like stroke.

What do speech and language therapists do?

Speech and language therapists at Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital are specialists in assessing, diagnosing and managing patients.

Our therapists assess and treat patients with a range of conditions, including the following:

• swallowing problems that have a neurological or physical nature 
• communication or swallowing problems associated with tracheostomy 
• speech and language difficulties due to a neurological disorder (eg Parkinson's disease, dementia, stroke, motor neurone disease)
• assessment and treatment for voice disorders, like stammer
• swallowing or communication difficulties due to cancers of the head or neck, like throat cancer. 

Speech and language therapists are key members of a therapeutic team that collaborates across departments at the Royal Free London to provide the best patient care. The team includes physiotherapists, occupational therapists and dieticians.

This type of combined approach is especially beneficial for patients affected by neurological disorders and those with tracheostomy or suffering from stroke.

Our speech and language therapists work closely within multi-disciplinary teams, particularly in the following areas:

• Neurosciences (neurology, neurosurgery, stroke)
• Critical care
• Health services for the elderly
• Oncology and palliative care

We provide rehabilitation of communication and swallowing disorders for in-patients who need our support as part of their multidisciplinary treatment.

Also visit our neuro speech and language therapy page to see how our speech and language therapists treat neurological patients.

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