2 December 2021

The RCSLT has published a briefing on the Health and Care Bill, which will have its second reading in the House of Lords next week.

The Health and Care Bill (2021), which will have its second reading in the House of Lords on 7 December, has significant implications for people of all ages with communication and swallowing needs, as well as speech and language therapists and other allied health professionals.

Working with a variety of partner organisations and coalitions, the RCSLT is calling for provisions of the Bill to be strengthened in order to:

  • Ensure better outcomes for babies, children and young people and their families, including those with communication and swallowing needs;
  • Ensure better outcomes for working age adults and older people and their families who depend on community rehabilitation services, including people with communication and swallowing needs;
  • Maximise the diagnostic and therapeutic contribution of allied health professionals, including speech and language therapists, to delivering better patient and system outcomes; and
  • Ensure that tackling health inequalities is central to decisions about access to health services and patient outcomes.

Read the full RCSLT briefing (PDF) on the Health and Care Bill.

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