Therapy services
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and Language Therapy is provided across West Hertfordshire as an integrated service including acute inpatient, outpatient/community, rehabilitation and palliative care. The service is delivered through disorder-specific pathways of care covering acute, outpatient and community settings. The pathway of care for any patient who is referred, may begin in any of the settings identified, and packages of care are individually designed and based on the patient’s goals.
The acute service, provided from Watford General Hospital and Hemel Hempstead Hospital, is seen as part of the pathway of care and there is a seamless link with outpatient and/or community services depending on the needs of each patient. Outpatient services are provided at Watford General Hospital, Hemel Hempstead Hospital and St Albans City Hospital.
Speech and Language Therapists assess, diagnose, develop and deliver packages of care to maximise the speech, language, communication and/or eating and drinking potential of the patient referred to them. The Speech and Language Therapist will design a treatment/management package of care based on the outcome of detailed assessment and diagnosis. This may include individual treatment aimed at the patient but will also include supporting and influencing those in the patient’s communication and/or eating and drinking environment.
The aim of Speech and Language Therapy in the acute setting will be to reach a diagnosis and communicate this at an appropriate level to the patient, carers and other professionals in order to maximise the person’s communication potential and/or minimise the risks of eating and drinking impairments. The pathway of care will continue on discharge either in outpatient, intermediate care, rehabilitation units or community settings and may include ongoing assessment and rehabilitation aimed at enablement and based on the patient’s goals.
| Name | Department | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Anne Torrance | Clinical coordinator SLT | 01923 217477 |
