Adult Community Service

Who is this service for?

The Adult Community Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Service provides assessment and treatment for adults over the age of 18 with communication and/or swallowing difficulties, related to acquired conditions. These difficulties may be linked to neurological conditions, respiratory illnesses, or other health conditions. We support adults across the county who are registered with a GP in Gloucestershire.

Depending on the person’s needs, our service may provide:

• Telephone or video appointments
• Outpatient appointments at clinics in a number of locations including:
  • Cirencester Community Hospital
  • Forest of Dean Community Hospital
  • Southgate Moorings (Gloucester)
  • Stroud Community Hospital
• Home visits (for people who are housebound)

What do we do?

Our service includes:

• Assessment, diagnosis and treatment for acquired communication and swallowing difficulties.
• Working closely with other professionals to ensure a multidisciplinary team approach to care when needed.
• Support for care homes including advice, education, and training for staff supporting residents with communication and/or swallowing difficulties.
• Support for community inpatient wards including advice, education, and training for staff supporting inpatients with communication and/or swallowing difficulties.
• Encouraging self-management including offering people and their relatives and/or carers the skills and confidence to manage their difficulties, and signposting to community services and charities for longer-term support.
• Onward referral to specialist teams or services including voice clinic, instrumental assessment (Fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallow (FEES) and Videofluoroscopy (VFS)) or AAC West of England Specialist Service

How do I access this service?

• If you have acquired communication difficulties, please self-refer to the service.
• If you have acquired swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), please request referral via your GP or other members of your healthcare or therapy team.
• If you have a voice disorder (dysphonia), you must be referred following examination of the larynx by an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Doctor.