WAIT UP SLT

WAIT UP is a research project aiming to explore experiences of waiting within children's speech and language therapy services in England from the perspective of: - Speech and language therapy teams - Parents & caregivers - Children & young people Please RT and follow for updates.

Speech and language therapy for children with SEND was raised in Parliament this week by @elsieblundell MP She asked how the government will ensure local authorities in financial difficulty can still deliver effective speech and language therapy for children. 🧵

🚨 With @educationgovuk SEND plans leaked, here are some tests @RCSLT will be applying to any proposals. 1⃣ Can CYP access the SLT they need? 2⃣ Is SLT provision in schools properly provided and funded? 3⃣ Is workforce planning & retention being improved? bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

2 million adults in the UK live with a speech impediment. I’m one of them. We often face discrimination & barriers to getting on at work-& in public life. I’m determined to change that & today I asked the PM about it. I want to make sure every voice is heard in Parliament

🗣️ 'It is time to tear down those barriers.' 😊 Huge @RCSLT thanks to @DavidPintoD for asking @Keir_Starmer at PMQs yesterday what the Government are doing to help people with speech disabilities and differences to get the support they need, so that their voices can be heard.

🚨 With massive thanks to @SoniaKumarMP for coordinating this letter to @DHSCgovuk's @wesstreeting, the @RCSLT is proud to be one of signatories calling for strategic action on the allied health professionals workforce in the interests of the people we work with and support.

Long waits for paediatrics, autism and ADHD diagnosis, and speech and language therapy risk lasting harm. New analysis calls for urgent action. Featuring @NuffieldTrust. Read more 👉 mag.nationalhealthexecutive.com/issue-106-q4/p… #ChildHealth #CommunityCare #NHSDelays #HealthcareAccess

New blog post: Meet the WAIT-UP SLT team: Doctoral Supervisors waitupslt.blogspot.com/2026/01/meet-w…

📢 ICYMI: Waiting lists are falling - but not for children who need speech and language therapy (blog post) waitupslt.blogspot.com/2026/01/waitin…

Quarter of the 300,000 children in England waiting for 12 months for NHS community care such as hearing services, speech and language therapy & disability support. Human cost of fiscal rules, lack of public investment. Lives ruined by political choices. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Thousands of children facing 'catastrophic' waits for NHS community care: "Tiya Currie's 6-year-old son, Arun had difficulties with his speech since he was just a toddler.But when Tiya tried to get help she faced "waiting list after waiting list." @BBCNews bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

New #WaitUpSLT blog post: Waiting Lists Are Falling - But Not for Children Who Need Speech and Language Therapy waitupslt.blogspot.com/2026/01/waitin…

On 7 Jan 2026 Andrew Lewin tabled a written question asking @DHSCgovuk what steps are being taken to reduce waiting. @karinsmyth acknowleged "how important it is to patients and clinicians that they receive and deliver treatment faster" but no mention of svs beyond elective care.

😊 Big @RCSLT thank you @BenMaguireMP for asking about SLT in your constituency. 🚨 Good to see the @DHSCgovuk's @zubirahmed recognise the impact of long waits on people and their families. 📢 That's why we need to #InvestInSLT and the SLT Action Plan. questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questi…

" If we want to fix admin, we need to ask admin staff as well as patients what the solutions might be." From Julia Cream at The Kings Fund kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-an…

As I close down for the holiday period, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has engaged with #WaitUpSLT since we launched in the Summer. I'm really grateful to everyone who has supported the project so far and look forward to seeing how it develops in 2026!

Yesterday, I recorded an alternative football promo after I was challenged to include #Makaton in the video. The sign language helps our son communicate & is just one #SpeechTherapy method that can help unlock a child’s voice 🗣️ #SLT #SpeechAndLanguage #Autism

This morning we hit 2,000 views on the #WaitUpSLT blog! Many thanks as always for the interest and engagement and if you haven't already seen it, you can find it here: waitupslt.blogspot.com/?m=1

Tomorrow we'll be hosting the first meeting of our parent and caregivers' advisory group. Here's a reminder of how expert voices will shape #WaitUpSLT #research ⤵️ waitupslt.blogspot.com/2025/07/phase-…

Thank you STAMMA for the opportunity to present about #WaitUpSLT at the Research Arena this morning. Huge thanks to @kirsten_howells for being a superb facilitator and to all the attendees for their thoughtful feedback and questions ⭐