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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16 Jun 2025
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.
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Jun 12
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…
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Jun 10
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…
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Jun 5
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.
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Jun 2
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
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May 29
📢 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/…
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May 17
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
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Apr 1
💥 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…
Mar 24
💥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'.
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Apr 14
@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
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Apr 14
@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.
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Apr 14
@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
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Apr 14
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.”
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Apr 14
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…
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Mar 24
💥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'.
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Mar 4
Speech and language therapy for children with SEND was raised in Parliament this week by @elsieblundell MP
She asked how the government will ensure local authorities in financial difficulty can still deliver effective speech and language therapy for children. 🧵
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Feb 19
🚨 With @educationgovuk SEND plans leaked, here are some tests @RCSLT will be applying to any proposals.
1⃣ Can CYP access the SLT they need?
2⃣ Is SLT provision in schools properly provided and funded?
3⃣ Is workforce planning & retention being improved?
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2d…
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
2 million adults in the UK live with a speech impediment. I’m one of them.
We often face discrimination & barriers to getting on at work-& in public life. I’m determined to change that & today I asked the PM about it. I want to make sure every voice is heard in Parliament
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Feb 12
🗣️ 'It is time to tear down those barriers.'
😊 Huge @RCSLT thanks to @DavidPintoD for asking @Keir_Starmer at PMQs yesterday what the Government are doing to help people with speech disabilities and differences to get the support they need, so that their voices can be heard.
2 million adults in the UK live with a speech impediment. I’m one of them.
We often face discrimination & barriers to getting on at work-& in public life. I’m determined to change that & today I asked the PM about it. I want to make sure every voice is heard in Parliament
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Feb 11
🚨 With massive thanks to @SoniaKumarMP for coordinating this letter to @DHSCgovuk's @wesstreeting, the @RCSLT is proud to be one of signatories calling for strategic action on the allied health professionals workforce in the interests of the people we work with and support.
📝 I’ve written to the Secretary of State for Health, @wesstreeting MP, alongside MPs from across Parliament and the professional bodies representing all 14 Allied Health Professions, calling for AHPs to be treated as a strategic priority in the refreshed NHS Workforce Plan.👩⚕️👨⚕️
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WAIT UP SLT retweeted
Long waits for paediatrics, autism and ADHD diagnosis, and speech and language therapy risk lasting harm. New analysis calls for urgent action.
Featuring @NuffieldTrust.
Read more 👉 mag.nationalhealthexecutive.…
#ChildHealth #CommunityCare #NHSDelays #HealthcareAccess
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Jan 29
New blog post:
Meet the WAIT-UP SLT team: Doctoral Supervisors waitupslt.blogspot.com/2026/…
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