Herewith an interesting article on the waiting times in CAMBS:

Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Steve Barclay unearthed the figures from NHS Cambridgeshire - the PCT responsible for health services - after a constituent raised concern at the lack of speech therapy support for his child.

There is also concern more speech therapy sessions are being delivered by teaching assistants in schools who receive a 10-week basic training course, rather than fully qualified speech therapists.

There are currently around 42 fully qualified speech therapists in Cambridgeshire, with up to 3,500 children waiting or accessing the speech therapy service.

Within North East Cambs, there is one full time qualified speech therapist covering March and Chatteris, supported by a specialist one day a week and a further therapist two days a week.

They have to cover 83 children needing support, with a further 39 children on the waiting list.

Thirty-four children in March and Chatteris have been waiting longer than the Government target of 18 weeks from GP referral to their first therapy session.

In Wisbech, there is a full time specialist and a full time assistant, with a further part time therapist.

They have to cover 112 children needing treatment, with a further 30 on the waiting list, of which nine children in Wisbech have been waiting longer than the Government target.

“It is concerning that despite all the extra money poured into the NHS over the last 12 years, 60% of children in Cambridgeshire, who have been told by their GP that they need speech therapy, have been waiting on average seven months to see a speech therapist.

“Once they come off the waiting list they find their treatment is often in a group session or through an occasional school visit each term, rather than regular one to one sessions with a fully qualified speech therapist. It is clear speech therapists on the front line have massive individual case loads, which suggests money is being wasted on bureaucracy instead of being spent on employing extra speech therapists,” said Mr Barclay.

“Speech therapy is increasingly being provided by teaching assistants who complete a 10-week course with an hour’s training plus homework, or through a school visit from a speech therapist once a term or every half term, or through work with a therapist in group sessions. Fewer and fewer one to one sessions are being provided by a fully qualified speech therapist, despite this being what parents say they prefer for their child.”

Mr Barclay added: “Delays in speech therapy treatment matter particularly to children, as it impacts their development at school both academically and socially. A child who struggles to communicate with their teachers and classmates risks missing out on fulfilling their full potential during these crucial years.”

John Peberdy, County Children’s Lead, Cambridgeshire Community Services said: “The number of children on our waiting lists has reduced significantly over the last year following a £260,000 investment, enabling us to make real progress towards meeting the 18-week waiting time target which comes into effect in April 2010.
“At January 2009, there were more than 70 children on the waiting list for the March and Chatteris area, this has now halved to 34 children; whilst in Wisbech, children on the waiting list have reduced from 47 to 13 (not 30 as stated by Mr Barclay).”

Mr Peberdy continued: “It is a common misconception that one-to-one therapy is the gold standard; the therapy provided is based on the individual needs of the child, not resource availability. Some children do need individual therapy with a speech and language therapist, but many children will benefit most by having their therapy delivered in the school setting by teaching assistants.

“Teaching assistants play an integral role in delivering a speech and language therapy service. They undergo accredited training and operate within a robust service framework.

“Our speech and language therapists, together with specialist teachers, have now trained more than 450 teaching assistants in Cambridgeshire enabling many more children to benefit at an earlier stage.

“We have a track record of excellent partnership working across speech and language therapy and education in order to offer effective support for children at both pre-school and school age levels.”

Original source: http://www.fenlandcitizen.co.uk/news/Wait-too-long-for-therapy.5690524.jp

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PLEASE NOTE: Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our Speech Therapy Job person specification will be shortlisted for interview. If you have not been contacted within four to six weeks of the closing date please assume you have not been shortlisted for the next stage of the recruitment process.

We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further submissions, when we have received sufficient applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

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We are seeking a Speech and Language Therapist to work as part of a supportive team with a mixed paediatric caseload in community clinics. You will be part of a dynamic, committed team of staff delivering up to date high quality services to the population of Bromley. We believe in innovation and encourage staff to work in new and effective ways.

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Contact Name:  Moya Fielding

Telephone:         020 8315 4706

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