Specialist Speech & Language Therapist – Acute Medicine and StrokeNHS

Job summary

The successful candidate will work as a Band 6 SLT across the adult acute wards and stroke ward at Newham University Hospital - including the acute admissions unit, intensive care unit, respiratory unit, gastroenterology service and older peoples services.

This post provides an excellent opportunity for a Band 6 SLT to consolidate their knowledge and skills in managing patients with swallowing and communication impairments across the acute and stroke pathways, within a friendly and supportive team. They will provide specialist assessment and treatment to adults with acquired communication and swallowing difficulties in the inpatient setting, in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team (MDT). There will be exposure to, and opportunities to develop competency in, videofluoroscopy and tracheostomy management, as well as quality improvement initiatives.

The post holder should be an established, qualified SLT who is independent in the assessment and management of patients with dysphagia and communication impairment. There will be opportunities to develop and support junior SLT colleagues and/or students. Regular supervision will be provided, including access to joint assessments, formal 1:1 meetings and peer support sessions. There are excellent continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities within the SLT service and as part of the wider MDT.

Main duties of the job

• To independently manage a caseload of adults with swallowing and communication disorders on inpatient acute wards at Newham University Hospital
• To use specialist knowledge to independently assess, differentially diagnose and treat patients across the pathways, seeking support of more senior colleagues where required.
• To be actively involved in service development and to contribute to the ongoing development of specialist clinical pathways
• To deliver training/teaching to SLT colleagues, the wider multi-disciplinary team and students across Barts Health NHS Trust
• To participate in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) through internal training in specialist areas, such as Videofluoroscopy and Tracheostomy, as well as external courses/ Clinical Excellence Networks (as applicable).
• To work closely with all members of the inpatient and community multi-disciplinary team to optimise patient experience
• To supervise band 5 SLTs, band 3/4 assistants and students (as required)
• To work flexibly in line with the needs of the service

Job description

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

About us

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.