"Eight month wait for appointment with children speech + language therapist"

It is acknowledged that the wait for children’s speech and language therapy can range between 20 to 27 weeks in our Macclesfield clinic. The waiting times are monitored monthly and are watched very closely. We are very sorry for the long waits and the worry and distress that has been caused.

Increased referrals has recently placed the service under unprecedented demand.

The first appointment provides an opportunity for the speech and language therapist to meet with you and your child to understand your child’s needs and what may need to be done.

Once the speech and language therapist has an understanding of your child’s development and history, a decision can be made about the types of assessment that should be carried out. The second stage of the assessment may include standardised speech and/or language tests as well as observation of your child’s use of these skills in conversation and play. The case history, standardised assessments and observation will be used together by the speech and language therapist to decide whether speech and language therapy is needed, and if so, what form it will take. For some children, this is a straight forward process that may occur in the first session. For others this can take several weeks.

In all cases every effort is made to ensure that the child will receive the help that they need, through one of a number of treatment options.