Guidance produced in response to COVID-19
Reducing risk of transmission
- RCSLT guidance on reducing the risk of transmission and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the context of COVID-19 (PDF) – 21 October 2020
- RCSLT policy statement: Transparent face masks (PDF) (see also: NHS England note regarding the use of ClearMasks (PDF)) – 22 September 2020
- RCSLT FAQs on face coverings (not PPE) (Word) – 15 August 2020
- RCSLT Statement: PPE and aerosol generating procedures (Word) – 15 June 2020
- Statement: Introducing the report on aerosol generating procedures, dysphagia assessment and COVID-19 (PDF) – 24 April 2020
- Report on aerosol generating procedures, dysphagia assessment and COVID-19 (PDF) – 24 April 2020
Restoring services
- Catch-up funding for schools in England – supporting speech, language and communication (a resource for SLTs to share with schools) (Word) – 14 October 2020
- Practical tips and resources to overcome challenges in delivering children’s services during the COVID-19 pandemic (PDF) – 1 October 2020
- Restoring services: Framework to support decision making (PDF) – 29 May 2020
- COVID-19 speech and language therapy rehabilitation pathway (PDF) – 15 July 2020
- RCSLT policy statement on speech and language therapy services (PDF) – 29 April 2020
Workforce
- Redeployment of staff and impact on outcomes for service users in future COVID-19 surges (PDF) – 14 October 2020
- RCSLT statement on critical workers (PDF) – 23 June 2020
- COVID-19: Maximising the contribution of the speech and language therapy workforce (PDF) – Updated 24 April 2020
- Routes back into the NHS – information for returning SLTs (PDF) – Updated on 15 April 2020
Clinical guidance
- Clinical guidance for the management of total laryngectomy in the context of COVID-19 (PDF) – 4 November 2020
- Speech and language therapist-led endoscopic procedures in the COVID-19 pandemic (PDF) (updated) – 16 October 2020
- Guidance on voice and upper airway disorders in the context of COVID-19 in adult and paediatric services (PDF) – 10 August 2020
- Videofluoroscopy in the context of COVID-19: interim guidance for speech and language therapists and service managers (PDF) – 1 July 2020
- Statement: Use of Ultrasound for Swallowing and Upper Airway Assessment (PDF) – 14 May 2020
Joint publications
- Joint RCSLT and ASLTIP guidance for independent therapists
- Multidisciplinary guidance for safe tracheostomy care during the COVID-19 pandemic
- BLA and ENT UK Guidelines (endorsed by RCSLT): A graduated return to elective activities for Laryngology within the COVID-19 pandemic
The joint statement on PPE for those who care for people who regularly cough is being redrafted following helpful feedback received from a number of interested parties. A new statement will be issued as soon as possible. If you have any queries in the meantime, please contact Kim Hartley Kean, head of RCSLT Scotland Office, at kim.hartleykean@rcslt.org.
Letters
Webinars
The COVID-19 patient pathway for SLTs
Join the RCSLT for a series of webinars taking you through the Covid-19 patient pathway from the speech and language perspective. In this series we will look at everything from how patients present at the Intensive Care Unit; to interventions in critical care; to rehabilitation in the community; to how to look after yourself and sources of support.
Webinar 1: COVID-19: Critical Care for SLTs
- What is the disease? What do we know? Typical presentations of a patient in the COVID-19 critical care pathway
- How the COVID-19 ICU experience differs from the normal scope of practice • Intubation, post extubation issues
- Tracheostomy management and weaning
Q&A document – COVID-19: Critical Care for SLTs
Webinar 2: Practical and ethical decisions in adults with COVID-19
By attending this webinar you will gain an understanding of:
- The types patients with COVID-19 being seen on non-critical care wards,
- The types of clinical presentation that these patients have,
- Modifications to approaches to management including end of life care,
- Managing eating and drinking for those at risk of aspiration,
- Approaches to managing mental capacity assessment,
- Using ethical frameworks to support and inform decision making.
Q&A document – COVID-19: Practical and ethical decisions in adults
Webinar 3: Laryngectomy
By attending this webinar, delegates will learn about:
- How inpatient and outpatient laryngectomy services are being adapted in response to COVID-19
- The use of personal protective equipment in laryngectomy services
- Using telehealth to support laryngectomy patients
- Managing patients’ anxiety during the crisis
Webinar 4: Rehabilitation
By attending this webinar, you will gain an understanding of:
- Clinical presentations and rehab needs of COVID-19 patients
- The RCSLT / Intensive Care Society Rehabilitation Pathway
- Partnership working for rehabilitation
- How SLTs are making a positive impact
Webinar 5: Telehealth
After attending this webinar, delegates will have:
- The evidence base for telehealth pre-COVID-19
- What telehealth looks like now, in the context of COVID-19
- The new RCSLT telehealth guidance, including practical how-to advice
- Examples in adult services, looking at dysphagia and risk assessment
- The patient experience of telehealth services
Webinar 6: Telehealth in the COVID-19 context working with children
After attending this webinar, delegates will have:
- How SLTs are delivering tele therapy to children in the context of COVID-19
- Practical ideas, examples and case studies to support your practice
- How to address issues of patient choice and technology access
- Up to the minute research on SLTs’ use of telehealth
RCSLT webinar: Improving Stroke Care – The impact of COVID present and future
By attending this webinar, delegates will gain an understanding of:
- Adapting to service provision in light of COVID-19
- Continuing to meet stroke targets in the new “normal”
- Community provision of therapy including using different assessments and remote provision of therapy
- Working in multidisciplinary teams to deliver patient care pathways
RCSLT open access guidance
COVID-19 speech and language therapy data collection
The RCSLT has developed a dataset and a data collection tool to support the speech and language therapy profession with capturing data on the management of patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19. Visit our page about the COVID-19 Data Collection Tool to:
- Download the spreadsheet and accompanying resources
- Register your SLT service to submit data to the national database and access reports
- Find out more about how you can collect this data if you are already using the RCSLT Online Outcome Tool
If you have any feedback or questions, please contact root@rcslt.org
RCSLT survey: Impact of the pandemic on service provision
As part of our work to understand the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the speech and language therapy profession, the individuals it serves and provision of services, the RCSLT surveyed its members in April 2020 to explore how the pandemic had:
- resulted in changes to the role of speech and language therapists
- had an impact on individual professionals
- changed the ways in which services are delivered
- had an impact on individuals on existing speech and language therapy caseloads
A report summarising the findings of the survey is available to download here. A more detailed exploration of the findings is available in the August 2020 issue of Bulletin. The full tables of results can be downloaded here.
Follow-up survey: August/September 2020
In August, we launched a second survey, in order to monitor change over the course of the pandemic. This survey sought to explore the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on speech and language therapy, the individuals it serves and the way services are provided, but had a focus on some additional themes arising from the earlier survey, including the use of telehealth, and workforce consideration in the event of a second peak of the pandemic.
This survey was open between 12 August and 5 September 2020, inclusive. A summary of the key findings is presented in the following infographics:
- Overview of the survey
- The impact on service users – click here and here
- The impact on speech and language therapy caseloads
- Delivering services remotely
- Workforce capacity and service priorities
Should you have any questions, please contact info@rcslt.org.
Frequently asked questions
For further information for RCSLT members, visit our frequently asked questions.
The RCSLT will continue to keep members updated.
If you have any questions, please contact us.
RCSLT advice services
If you have a query about any aspect of your clinical practice, the RCSLT can put you in touch with one of our clinical advisers, who can help you try to resolve your issue. Please get in touch with us at info@rcslt.org if you would like to make use of this valuable service.