Speech and Language UK responds to NHS 10-year plan

The NHS 10-year plan must address the needs of 1.9 million children and young people in the UK struggling with talking and understanding words. There’s a lot we can do to prevent these struggles and help those with more complex and lifelong speech and language challenges. We have made a number of recommendations and we hope the Government will listen.

• We believe that new parents should receive advice and support on early language development, similar to guidance on diet and vaccinations. The NHS and local authorities need to collaborate to provide this low-cost, high-impact advice to every family, promoting early language skills from the start.
• The Government should prioritise easy-to-use tools like our free online Progress Checker to help families track their child’s speech and language development and to find out if they need help.
• The Early Language Identification Measure (ELIM) should be better integrated into the health visitor reviews for children aged two to two and a half. Proper implementation of ELIM, stalled by the pandemic, will help identify speech and language challenges early.
• There’s a workforce crisis in the NHS, with a 25% vacancy rate for Speech and Language Therapists. It’s crucial to fix this and improve access to specialist support through better coordination of health and education services.
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) must also recognise and address the high prevalence of speech and language challenges among children with mental health issues.