Speech therapy is a bridge between isolation and inclusion – It must be properly supported as we repair our NHS

If I asked you to read this sentence aloud, chances are it would be remarkably easy. Speech is something most of us take for granted—every day it allows us to express our thoughts, feelings, hopes, needs and, of course, our politics. Put simply, speech is how we connect with others. But for some people, it is not that easy. They could be a child struggling to form words, an adult recovering from a stroke, or someone with a lifelong condition that makes communication harder. Whatever the cause, their words are
out of reach.

This is where speech and language therapy steps in—not only as a treatment, but as a lifeline. Speech and language therapists are unsung heroes.

But too many people are waiting for this vital treatment. In August last year there were 23,500 adults and 67,000 children in England on waiting lists, according to NHS data. That must change.

On Monday I had the privilege of hosting a debate on this topic in Westminster Hall, on behalf of the Petitions Committee, of which I am a member. The committee considers petitions from people across the country and ensures that those which receive the most support get a hearing in Parliament.

This petition was brought by Mikey Akers, a young man who has benefitted from speech therapy himself—and now campaigns for better access for others. Mikey told me about the life-changing effect these therapies can have.

He said he felt lucky to be offered one hour a week with a speech therapist—just a quarter of what the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists recommends in cases like his. This should not be a matter of luck.

Too often, it is. Accessing speech and language therapy is a postcode lottery. In some areas, local NHS commissioning groups spend more than £15 per person on speech and language therapists. But in many parts of the country, that falls to less than £1. In the lowest identified by the Children’s Commissioner for England, the NHS and councils spent just 58 pence per person.

That means worse services and longer wait times. Often, it is the poorest parts of our country where people face the longest delays.

That matters immensely. Accessing these services is not just a matter of health care—it is an issue of social justice. Research suggests that a quarter of children start school with some kind of communication difficulty, diagnosed or undiagnosed. In the most deprived areas, that share rises to 50%. Research by the Children’s Commissioner has found that children with poor vocabulary skills are twice as likely to be unemployed when they grow up. More than 60% of children in Young Offender Institutions have communication difficulties. The pattern is too stark to ignore.

It is not just children who need the help of speech and language therapists. Adults with a huge range of conditions—from dementia to long covid—may struggle with their speech. One such condition, which is particularly close to my heart, is Parkinson’s, which affects 153,000 Brits—including my mam. Around 90% of those people will have found their voice changing because of their condition. But according to Parkinson’s UK, a charity, only 40% of them get speech therapy.

What can the government do to help? The first challenge is recruiting enough therapists to meet the demand. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists reckons that almost one in five posts are currently empty. Talented people are leaving the profession because of the huge workload they face.

Filling those empty posts will not be enough. We must level the playing field, so that no matter where you live, you can get the help you need. Local NHS commissioners need autonomy—but the government could issue more guidance, setting out a minimum standard of provision that they should meet.

Labour has a 10-year plan that will help get the NHS back on its feet and make it more resilient in the long term—with almost £165 billion to be invested by the end of this Parliament. Speech and language therapy must be properly supported in that plan. These treatments are so much more than just a clinical service – they are the bridge between silence and expression, isolation and inclusion.