WAIT UP SLT is a research project exploring perspectives and experiences of waiting within children's speech & language therapy services. Tweets by @GillianRudd
Joined June 2025
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WAIT UP is a research project aiming to explore experiences of waiting within children's speech and language therapy services in England from the perspective of:
- Speech and language therapy teams
- Parents & caregivers
- Children & young people
Please RT and follow for updates.
ALT The image shows an AI generated logo, with the text 'WAIT UP: waiting and access in therapy - understanding perspectives'. The text is in shades of green and blue, with images of people in the middle of the logo. There is greenery in the top left and right hand corners and a pen in the bottom left hand corner.
New! Guest blog post from Dr Shona D'Arcy:
Left Behind: Why Speech and Language Therapy Is Still Waiting for Digital Transformation
waitupslt.blogspot.com/2026/…
WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Yesterday morning I took my mum to the GP feeling unwell and they found a satsuma-sized lump.
She was given a referral for suspected gynaecological cancer and sent for an urgent blood test.
What happened next shocked me. This is what NHS privatisation means in practice👇1/🧵
WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Andy Burnham , speaking about speech and language therapy, said, “This is a core, essential service that need to be fully funded and properly organised.”
The team at MWF & @RCSLT are ready to work with you to turn your words into reality Andy Burnham.
Video: MWF event June 2024
Analysis of new NHS waiting list data reveal inequalities in waiting times for people of different ethnicities, deprivation levels and parts of the country. From @SkyNews
news.sky.com/story/patients-…
According to the latest data from NHS England, 66,303 children and young people were waiting for a first Speech and Language Therapy appointment in England in May 2026.
4,116 have been waiting more than a year.
Delighted to be at the beautiful @BhamBotanicalGd this morning to spread the word about @WaitUpSLT, as well as learn about the range of projects being carried out by Nursing and Midwifery colleagues at @MyBCU (including my brilliant supervisor @GaskinKerry)
Has your child been referred to or accessed speech & language therapy in England over the last 4 years?
If so, we would love to hear about your experiences of waiting in services.
🔗 Click here to read more and take part: app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk…
Have you experienced waiting for children's speech and language therapy services in England in the last 4 years?
Parents and caregivers are invited to complete a short anonymous survey: app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk…
Great news piece from The King's Fund @TheKingsFund: 'Waiting matters: bringing down NHS waiting lists is important but so is the experience of waiting'
kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and…
Despite national efforts to reduce waiting times, many children and families continue to wait for speech and language therapy support.
This latest infographic explores the scale of waiting for children's speech and language therapy in England.
Change is coming in NHS community health services. The Medium Term Planning framework and associated guidance sets the following targets for the end of 2028-29:
- 80% of community health service waits to be less than 18 weeks
- Waits over 1 year to have been eliminated
📢 New #WaitUpSLT blog post:
What does the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework mean for SLT?
In this post, I look at:
✓ What the framework is
✓ What it says about community services
✓ What it might mean for children and families / SLT services
🔗 waitupslt.blogspot.com/2026/…
Children's speech and language therapy waiting lists continue to grow.
In March 2026:
• 67,337 children and young people were waiting for speech and language therapy
• 17,345 had been waiting between 18 and 52 weeks
• 1,196 had been waiting over two years
WAIT UP SLT retweeted
💥 NEWS FLASH: #InvestInSLT campaign update!
🚨 @RCSLT & @MikeysWish_VDA are delighted to announce new supporters for the letter to @10DowningStreet.
▶️ Advisory group members @Hurtleyph and Dr Sam Burr
▶️ Chris Kamara, and Symbol UK
📰 More info here: rcslt.org/news/invest-in-slt…
💥BREAKING NEWS
📢 Over 50 organisations join the #InvestInSLT campaign call for @10DowningStreet to publish the long-promised Speech and Language Therapy Action Plan.
📨 Check out the @MikeysWish_VDA & @RCSLT co-ordinated letter to @Keir_Starmer here: rcslt.org/news/invest-in-slt…
ALT A graphic with the Mikey's Wish Foundation and RCSLT's logos and the wording 'Invest in SLT Campaign writes to Prime Minister'.
ALT Six people stood outside 10 Downing Street in London. They are holding up cards reading 'Invest in SLT Campaign'.
WAIT UP SLT retweeted
@bhatti_saqib backed increasing SLT capacity but raised key concerns:
🚩The SLT action plan promised in 2024 has not yet been published
🚩No clarity on how many therapists are needed to deliver the reform
🚩No clear funding plan
WAIT UP SLT retweeted
@CarolineVoaden welcomed plans to embed SLTs in schools via the “Experts at Hand” service, which was recently announced, but warned that without a credible workforce plan, delivery is at risk.
WAIT UP SLT retweeted
@JOCampbellMP emphasised parental support for reforms that include additional speech and language therapists, alongside other specialists, and a stronger focus on early intervention and support delivered closer to home
WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Strong cross-party consensus in yesterday’s SEND debate: the system is not working for children and families.
@helenhayes_ described waiting times for diagnosis and support, including SLT, as
“one of the most appalling aspects of the current system.”
WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Yesterday’s Westminster Hall debate on SEND Provision and Reform, led by @GregoryStafford, highlighted major concerns across the system — including repeated calls for better access to speech and language therapy.
hansard.parliament.uk/common…
WAIT UP SLT retweeted
💥BREAKING NEWS
📢 Over 50 organisations join the #InvestInSLT campaign call for @10DowningStreet to publish the long-promised Speech and Language Therapy Action Plan.
📨 Check out the @MikeysWish_VDA & @RCSLT co-ordinated letter to @Keir_Starmer here: rcslt.org/news/invest-in-slt…
ALT A graphic with the Mikey's Wish Foundation and RCSLT's logos and the wording 'Invest in SLT Campaign writes to Prime Minister'.
ALT Six people stood outside 10 Downing Street in London. They are holding up cards reading 'Invest in SLT Campaign'.