Impact of the initial COVID-19 response in the UK on speech and language therapy services: a nationwide survey of practice
Journal of Health Organization and Management
ISSN: 1477-7266
Article publication date: 26 March 2024
Issue publication date: 18 April 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Globally “non-urgent” health care services were ceased in response to the 2020 outbreak of COVID-19, until 2021, when restrictions were lifted. In the UK, this included speech and language therapy services. The implications of COVID-19 restrictions have not been explored. This study aimed to examine the impact of the UK’s COVID-19 response on speech and language therapy services.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey of the practice of speech and language therapists (SLTs) in the UK was undertaken. This explored SLTs’ perceptions of the demand for their services at a time when COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted, compared with before the onset of the pandemic. The analysis was completed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.
Findings
Respondents were mostly employed by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) or the private sector. Many participants reported that demands on their service had increased compared with before the onset of the pandemic. The need to address the backlog of cases arising from shutdowns was the main reason for this. Contributing factors included staffing issues and redeployment. Service users were consequently waiting longer for NHS therapy. Private therapy providers reported increased demand, which they directly attributed to these NHS challenges.
Originality/value
This presents the only focused account of the impact of the national response to COVID-19 on speech and language therapy services in the UK. It has been identified that services continue to face significant challenges, which indicate a two-tier system is emerging. Healthcare system leaders must work with service managers and clinicians to create solutions and prevent the system from being overwhelmed.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all survey respondents for their time dedicated to completing the survey, and to members of the RCSLT COVID Advisory Board for their input into the initial version of a survey in which the one utilised here was adapted from.
Gemma Clunie is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship Programme CDRF-2017–03-028/Integrated Clinical Academic Programme for this research project.
Citation
Chadd, K., Chalmers, S., Harrall, K., Heelan, A., Kulkarni, A., Lambert, S., Moyse, K. and Clunie, G. (2024), "Impact of the initial COVID-19 response in the UK on speech and language therapy services: a nationwide survey of practice", Journal of Health Organization and Management, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 264-285. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-11-2022-0337
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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