Adult Speech and Language Therapy

What does this service offer?

We understand that dealing with communication and swallowing difficulties caused by various medical conditions can be challenging. That’s why we are here to help. We are a team of compassionate healthcare professionals who are dedicated to providing the highest quality care to our patients.

We provide our services to you in various settings, including your own home, nursing homes, outpatient departments at Farnham Hospital, and Farnham Hospital wards. We can offer individual face to face sessions, group therapy and/or teletherapy options depending on the reason for referral. We will work closely with you and your family to tailor a treatment program to your specific needs.

If your concern is regarding changes to your voice or stammering related, or if it is for an individual with learning disabilities, please note these conditions are not covered by our service. Referral to Adult Speech and Language Therapy can come from yourself, family member or carer, your GP, Consultant, other Health Care Professional or Care Home.

Your referral will be reviewed by a Speech and Language Therapist and if the referral is accepted, you will be placed on a waiting list. The information provided will determine how urgently the team needs to assess you and the team will try to give an indication of your expected waiting time.

When an appointment becomes available, you will be contacted by telephone or letter and an assessment will be arranged. Patients referred to Adult Speech and Language Therapy are seen in the outpatient department at Farnham Hospital or in their own residence, depending on their needs. We also provide a service to inpatients with speech, language and swallowing difficulties on Runfold and Bentley the wards at Farnham Hospital.

Referral forms for our service are available below. The more information you can provide us the better.

In the case of care home referrals for swallowing difficulties, additional referral information is required from care home staff. ‘Dysphagia Information Form V8’ and ‘Swallowing Diary for Care Homes’ must be included with the referral.

Helpful Information & Referral documents

How to access the service

Referral to Adult Speech and Language Therapy can come from your GP, Consultant, other Health Care Professional or Care Home.

Information for patients

Your referral will be reviewed by a Speech and Language Therapist and if the referral is accepted, you will be placed on a waiting list. A letter will be sent to you from our service confirming this and we will give you further relevant information.

Information for referrers

Referral forms for our service are available below. In the case of care home referrals for swallowing difficulties, additional referral information is required from care home staff. ‘Dysphagia Information Form V8’ and ‘Swallowing Diary for Care Homes’ must be included with the referral.

Your first appointment

Depending on your needs, what happens in the appointment may vary. Your therapist will be able to explain what will happen in more detail.

If you have swallowing difficulties you may be asked to eat and drink small quantities of food and fluid. An examination of the muscles involved in swallowing will be carried out.

If you have communication difficulties, standardised and informal tests will be conducted as appropriate. We will ask for your consent at the beginning of every appointment. During the initial assessment you will be asked questions relevant to your problem so we can gain a full picture of your condition and how these difficulties impact your daily life.

Carers and family members are welcome to be present during assessments. Everyone is welcome to ask questions to improve their understanding of the problem and to ensure that they fully understand any recommendations made.

The length of your appointment will depend on your individual needs as assessed. On average an initial appointment takes 1 hour and follow up appointments take approximately 45 minutes.