We work with adults over 18 who have problems with speaking, understanding, or swallowing that affect their daily life. We work closely with families, caregivers, and other healthcare providers to give the best care and treatment. Our team specifically helps people with communication or swallowing issues, including those with long-term conditions or nearing the end of life.
Who we are
We are a team of speech and language therapists (SLTs) who are healthcare professionals.
We help adults with communication and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia).
When should I see the Speech and Swallowing team?
You should see an SLT if you are concerned about your speech and swallowing.
If you are concerned about your speech and swallowing then a healthcare professional can refer you to SLT (your GP, for example).
What should I expect in my initial appointment?
Your first appointment will involve taking a case history and assessment of your communication and/or swallowing needs.
This will allow us to identify how our service may be able to help you and recommend appropriate therapy options.
The initial appointment may be carried out in our clinic or at your home. This will be discussed when booking.
What will happen after my initial appointment?
You might be referred to other healthcare professionals (like physiotherapy, dietetics, or occupational therapy) to help manage your symptoms.
We may suggest a therapy plan that could help you, such as individual therapy, group therapy, or virtual sessions, if needed.
You might only need one assessment, where you’ll receive advice and information on what to watch for and when to ask for further help.
What will therapy be like?
Therapy will focus on helping you with your communication and/or swallowing difficulties.
The therapy programme will be tailored to your needs, based on your assessment results and how your symptoms are currently affecting your life.
Therapy may include, but is not limited to:
Exercises to help improve your swallowing.
Individual speech and swallowing therapy sessions, either at your home or in a clinic.
Group therapy sessions for speech and swallowing.
Helping your family, friends, and carers understand how they can support you and assist with your needs.
Adults with communication or swallowing difficulties who have a diagnosis of learning disability
The patient’s learning disability makes it difficult for them to access or benefit from mainstream services
Please refer to LYPFT Single Point of Access.
If you are unsure, we will forward these referrals and have a mechanism for discussing them to determine the best service
People with mental health conditions
Population
Definition
Signposting information
Inpatients in a mental health facility
May be LYPFT or a private hospital provider
Service provider to provide a service through their commissioning arrangements.
The patient can be referred after discharge into the community
Long standing mental health condition
The patient’s swallowing or communication needs are directly related to their mental health condition
There is no significant physical or neurological explanation for their difficulties
There is currently no locally commissioned service for this patient group.
In the case of un-commissioned services, you may like to contact:
NHS West Yorkshire ICB-Leeds Office
Address: Building 3, White Rose Park, Millshaw Lane, Leeds, LS11 0DL
Liaise with GP for reflux medication, lifestyle advice or for a referral to gastroenterology if symptoms persist
Where there is a possibility of co-existing reflux and signs or symptoms of oropharyngeal dysphagia, please treat reflux first, as SLT assessment will be unreliable in the context of unmanaged reflux
Signposting to psychological therapies for support with self-management and anxiety
Liaise with GP or Pharmacy to see if medication can be taken in alternative form
Functional swallowing difficulties
Difficulty swallowing despite normal investigations (Barium swallow, Video-fluoroscopy, endoscopy)
No neurological diagnosis
No confirmed diagnosis of functional neurological disorder (FND)
The throat is a highly sensate place and can be an area where emotional or psychological issues are somatised. Please consider whether this patient’s presentation could be related to anxiety or psychological factors and consider a referral to the appropriate mental health support.
Refer to ENT for further investigations, for example, nasendoscopy. If specialist input is indicated an ENT Consultant can refer directly to an ENT specialist speech and language therapist.
If the patient has had a recent ENT examination, a direct referral can be made to ENT speech and language therapy in Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust by email via ltht-tr.sltrefrrals@nhs.net
