Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Acute Medicine

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

NHS pension

Generous annual leave

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is seeking a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Band 7) to join the Acute Medicine SLT team at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury. You will assess and treat patients with swallowing and communication disorders, including instrumental FEES and videofluoroscopy, across acute admission areas.

The role offers flexibility (full/part-time/job share) and opportunities to develop through competencies and MDT collaboration, with support to progress

Qualifications

• Recognised SLT degree and HCPC registration.
• Postgraduate dysphagia qualification with competencies.
• Registered with RCOT and relevant networks.
• Competencies in FEES and videofluoroscopy assessment.

Responsibilities

• Assess patients with acute communication and swallowing difficulties in A&E/front-door settings.
• Prioritise cases by acuity in a fast-paced environment.
• Provide instrumental assessments (FEES, VF) as indicated.
• Lead and support junior staff and students on placement.
• Contribute to service developments and patient flow improvements.

Education

Speech and Language Therapy Degree

HCPC Licence to Practice

Postgraduate qualification in dysphagia

RCOT membership

FEES/Videofluoroscopy competencies

Job description

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Acute Medicine

Band 7

Main area Voice Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time
• Job share
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week Job ref 434-CR8296001-A

Site Stoke Mandeville Hospital Town Aylesbury Salary £49,387 - £56,515 per annum (pro rata for part time) Salary period Yearly Closing 03/11/2026 23:59

Be part of our BHT family

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) is an integrated provider of acute hospital and community services for people living in Buckinghamshire and the surrounding area.

We care for over half a million patients every year:

• Provide specialist spinal services at our world renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the birthplace of the Paralympics
• Nationally recognised for urology and skin cancer services
• Regional specialist centre for burns, plastic surgery, dermatology, stroke and cardiac services
• Deliver community services in health centres, schools, patients’ own homes, community hospitals and community hubs.

More than 6,500 people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds work for us.

We would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options. We strive to be a family friendly, inclusive employer.

If you require any assistance in making this application, please contact [e-mail] or phone [phone].

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work and invite you to join our BHT family.

Job overview

The Buckinghamshire Adult Speech and Language Therapy Team have an exciting opportunity for a motivated and dynamic therapist to join our acute SLT team. You will be joining a friendly SLT team working across Buckinghamshire, delivering high quality care.

This post offers the opportunity to work with acute SLT and MDT colleagues, providing swallowing and communication assessments and advice for patients admitted to Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The post holder is integral to the SLT provision in our admission areas and will work collaboratively with the REACT team to assess patients and enhance patient flow. The post holder will additionally support the ongoing care or patients throughout their inpatient admission. The post holder will be involved in the provision of instrumental assessment via FEES and VF.

We can offer training and development from within our team and this post could be considered as a band 6/band 7 development opportunity for the right person. In this situation the post holder would be supported to complete competencies related to acute care, to progress from a band 6 to a band 7.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will independently manage and take responsibility for their own caseload and will:

• Assess patients presenting in the A&E department or front-door service with acute communication and swallowing difficulties and interpret results from diagnostic tests, medical history, and multidisciplinary team (MDT) input to inform treatment plans.
• Work effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, prioritizing cases based on acuity and severity of needs.
• Identify, assess, and diagnose swallowing and communication impairments and implement management programmes, or therapy, where appropriate.
• Collaborate with other healthcare professionals to ensure holistic care and effective management of speech and swallowing needs
• Use highly specialist clinical skills to manage an acute caseload of eating, drinking, swallowing and communication difficulties.
• Provide expert guidance and information to colleagues, patients and carers.
• To provide instrumental assessment, including Videofluorosopy and FEES, as indicated in patient care.
• Support patients with communication impairments to engage with care planning and advanced care planning
• Demonstrate leadership and support the development of SLT and HCP colleagues.
• Independently take students on placement.
• Take responsibility for implementing service wide developments as appropriate and contribute to the operational delivery of acute services at Stoke Mandeville Hospital

What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?

• As part of our BHT family, you’ll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.
• We offer flexible and agile workingopportunities,alongside your NHS benefits ofgenerous annual leave entitlement, pension andaccess toNHS discount schemes.
• We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.

Why work for us?

• We’recommitted to promoting inclusion and making sure all colleagues feel they belong. We encourage new colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.
• As an employer, we aim to create a workplace where differences are valued, and colleagues treat one another with dignity and respect.
• Greater diversity withinourBHT familyimprovespositive outcomes for the people and communities we serve.

What do we stand for?

• Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.
• Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.
• Our CARE values are collaborate, aspire, respect and enable.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a comprehensive list of responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to the Job Description and Person Specification by downloading the JD and PS attachment in the advert.

If you are an internal applicant there is the option for secondment, all applicants must have the endorsement/support of their line manager prior to application.

If you have a disability that makes submitting this online application difficult and would like assistance, please contact us on [e-mail] quoting the vacancy reference number.

Person specification

EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
• Health Professions Council Licence to Practice
• Completion of accredited post graduate qualification in dysphagia or equivalent, demonstrating completion of competencies
• Registered member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Network
• Competencies achieved in Videoflurosocopy assessment and FEES assessment of swallowing

EXPERIENCE

• Significant clinical experience in Speech and Language Therapy, typically at least 2–3 years at Band 6 or equivalent level
• Experience in assessment and management of complex communication and dysphagia in acute settings and in optimising patient flow
• Experience in clinical decision making and managing complex caseloads in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to supervise and support junior staff, assistants, and students.
• Experience of the application of quality measures pertaining to SLT

SKILLS, ABILITIES & KNOWLEDGE

• Well established knowledge of specialist SLT assessment and therapy tools relevant to these client groups including VFS and FEES.
• Knowledge of the roles of other professionals involved in the relevant areas of patient care
• Working knowledge of MS Office applications and use of the Internet for communication and information
• Knowledge of national policies and procedures relevant to the client group
• Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance and quality measures

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• e.g. Ability to work internal rotation

PPE requirements: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust requires all colleagues to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with our infection prevention and control procedures.

Flu vaccinations remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the viruses when working in our healthcare settings. We encourage our staff to be vaccinated when recommended.

Application deadline: This post will close on the closing date stated at midnight, however if we receive a large number of applications or there is a change in circumstance, we may be required to close a job before the advertised date.

Contacting you: We will contact candidates through the email address supplied on their application form. Please make sure you check this regularly.

Application information: If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records (ESR) system.

Shortlisting: The monitoring and safeguarding sections are not made visible to the shortlisting panel. The safeguarding section may be made visible to the interview panel, dependent on the role being recruited into.

Travel expenses: It is Trust policy that travel expenses for interviews will not be reimbursed.

Smoking: All Trust sites are NO SMOKING. Smoking in all areas of the buildings and premises is prohibited.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.