We are the village report
A new report, published today (17 April 2024) by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), reveals rising numbers of pre-school children with communication difficulties in Northern Ireland, with many of them waiting too long for speech and language therapy. Complex communication needs among children under the age of five are also on the increase.
Unsupported speech, language and communication issues in the early years have a lifelong impact on children, affecting their ability to learn, to form friendships, to remain in education, and their potential to find employment.
The RCSLT is calling for the Northern Ireland Health Minister to fund more speech therapists in order to tackle the early years communication crisis.
Research carried out by the RCSLT in 2023 found:
an 85% increase in children waiting for speech and language therapy appointments: from 2,444 children in 2021 to 4,527 in 2023.
a rise in the number of children coming into pre-school and Primary One with more complex speech and language needs, requiring longer and more intensive support from speech therapists.
a huge workforce shortage, with one in five NHS speech and language therapy posts in Northern Ireland unfilled, and almost a third of posts vacant in some services.
Ruth Sedgewick, Head of the RCSLT NI said,
“Speech and language therapy is not a luxury – it’s about our fundamental ability to communicate.
“There are more children in Northern Ireland waiting for speech and language therapy per head of the population than in any other region of the UK.
“Families are facing long, frustrating waits for speech therapy at this crucial stage of their children’s development. They have every right to be concerned.
“Speech and language therapists are doing their level best to support the increasing number of children being referred to them, but they are stretched far beyond capacity.”
The RCSLT is calling on the Northern Ireland Health Minister to increase the number of speech and language university places (currently 28) and introduce alternative routes into the profession to meet this escalating need for speech and language therapy services, so children get the vital support they need early on in life.
Ruth Sedgewick
Ruth Sedgewick, Head of the RCSLT NI continued,
“The bottom line is we need more speech and language therapists, and we need them soon. The Minister has said he will commit to increasing the number of speech and language therapy undergraduate places to 40, but this would only be a start and it will take three years before students complete their degree.
“We urge the Department of Health to work much more closely with the Department of Education to improve access to speech, language and communication support for every single child who needs it now.
“This is an issue with far-reaching impacts for every part of Northern Ireland’s economic and community life. Without more speech and language therapists and better workforce planning, this situation is not going to get any better.
“In these important early years, little ones can’t afford to wait six months for an initial speech and language therapy assessment, only to wait for many more months to begin therapy. It’s not good enough and families deserve more.”