We work with patients to help improve their ability to communicate or swallow, and support their families and carers to manage their difficulties.
Referrals
We accept referrals by letter or phone.
Referrals are usually made by GPs, consultants and other health professionals, but self-referrals can also be accepted in some cases.
Our acute SLT support adult patients on medical wards across the hospital.
We assess and provide therapy for patients with swallowing and/or communication difficulties, especially after a sudden illness.
We may also recommend certain types of food and drink that are safer for you, and give advice to help you communicate more easily with others.
When someone is critically ill, they may find it difficult to speak or swallow safely. This can be due to the illness itself, the effects of treatment, or the presence of medical equipment such as a tracheostomy (a tube placed in the neck to help with breathing).
We work closely with each patient to understand their individual needs and provide tailored support.
We support people with dementia and other complex mental health conditions who experience difficulties with communication and/or eating, drinking and swallowing.
Our teams are based in the Swindon Memory Service, the Complex Intervention and Treatment Team (CITT) based at the Victoria Centre, and the inpatient mental health teams at the Victoria Centre and Sandalwood Court.
FEES is a specialist assessment of swallowing, that involves gently passing a small camera through your nose to see the back of your throat and voice box while you eat and drink.
This allows our team to check if your swallowing is safe and whether any food or drink is going down the wrong way.
FEES is a quick process usually done by two speech and language therapists who will guide you through the process and ensure you are comfortable.
FEES can be offered to patients in hospital, as well as those coming to outpatient clinics.
Our therapists also help to look after patients with head and neck cancer by supporting communication or swallowing difficulties that may happen after treatment.
Treatments like radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or surgery can sometimes affect how you speak, eat, or drink. We’ll work with you to understand your needs and help you manage any changes.
We may carry out specialist assessments, such as:
Based on what we find, we might:
We also support rehabilitation and provide comfort during palliative care, if needed.
A laryngectomy is an operation where the voice box (larynx) is removed.
After surgery, you will breathe through a small opening in your neck called a tracheostoma.
You won’t be able to speak in the same way as before, but there are different ways we can help you communicate and will support you with:
Sometimes, a small device called a voice prosthesis (or valve) can be placed to help you speak again.
We can talk to you about the different types of valves and products available and help you choose what works best for you.
We also provide valve replacements, and advice on day-to-day care and what to do in an emergency.
We assess and provide therapy for adult patients who present with swallowing and/or communication difficulties who live in Swindon with a Swindon GP & who have been accepted by the Parkinson’s Disease Service.
We may advise on specific consistencies of food and drink that are safe for a patient to consume and provide advice on how to support patients’ communication needs.
If you’ve had a stroke, we will work with you to understand your needs and provide therapy to support your recovery.
This might include helping you speak more clearly, understand others, or eat and drink safely.
We also work closely with your family, friends and/or carers, offering advice, support, and guidance.
A Videofluoroscopy is an x-ray video taken whilst you eat and drink.
The name ‘video’ describes how swallowing can be viewed as a moving image in real-time and on replay.
The x-ray is taken while you swallow food and drink mixed with a safe substance called ‘barium’ that shows clearly under x-ray.
This shows how people swallow different textures of food and drink, giving a clear picture of how swallowing is working as well as the structures of the mouth and throat.
Your speech and language therapist will talk to you about VFS and refer you for the test if it’s the right option for you.
The test is quick, and we’ll guide you through it every step of the way.
All voice therapy referrals are via an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist, who will have assessed your larynx (voice box) within the last six months.
This usually involves passing a small camera down your nose to view how your vocal cords are moving.
A voice therapy referral may also be made if you have other throat symptoms, such throat discomfort / laryngeal hypersensitivity and chronic coughing.
Great Western Hospital
Marlborough Road
Swindon
SN3 6BB
