Adult Speech and Language Therapy

Who we are

Adult speech and language therapy are a team of 36; we have 30 speech and language therapists, 5 speech and language therapy assistants and 1 secretary.

What we do

Registered speech and language therapists are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat:

• communication disorders
• swallowing disorders (dysphagia)
• stammering (fluency)
• voice disorders (dysphonia)

We work with people with a range of medical diagnoses, including:

• Stroke (CVA)
• Progressive neurological disorders (e.g. Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone's Disease, Huntingdon's Chorea, Multiple Sclerosis, Dementia, Multi-Systems Atrophy, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
• Head Injury
• Brain Tumours
• Head and Neck Cancer

Speech and Language Therapists are the only communication and swallowing professionals to be statutorily regulated, and governed by an ethical code, to ensure that we always work to the highest standard. The title Speech and Language Therapist can only be used by those appropriately trained professionals who have registered with the Health Professions Council.

We provide both the hospital and community adult speech and language services to County Durham and Darlington.  Patients can be seen on an individual, one-to-one basis or in a group therapy session.

Where you can find us

We are based across 7 sites around County Durham and Darlington:

• University Hospital of North Durham
• Shotley Bridge Hospital
• Chester-le-Street Hospital
• Bishop Auckland Hospital
• Darlington Memorial Hospital
• Peterlee Health Centre
• Sedgefield Community Hospital

We see patients on the hospital wards, in outpatient clinics and in their own home, nursing home or residential home.

How you can contact the Appointments Department for Community Adult Speech and Language Therapy

AHP Central Appointments, Bishop Auckland General Hospital, Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham. DL14 6AD

Telephone: 01388 455200

For community appointments Consultants and GPs may refer using the AHP Central Appointments referral documentation attached.  The service also accepts self-referrals.

How you can contact the Department for Inpatient Adult Speech and Language Therapy

University Hospital of North Durham, North Road, Durham, DH1 5TW

Telephone: 0191 3332591

Bishop Auckland Hospital, Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, DL14 6AD

Telephone: 01388 455714

Darlington Memorial Hospital, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, DL3 6AX

Telephone: 01325 743603

Shotley Bridge Hospital, Shotley Bridge Hospital, Shotley Bridge, Consett, County Durham, DH8 0NB

Telephone: 01207 594606

Peterlee Health Centre, 2 Bede Way, Peterlee, County Durham. SR8 1AD

Telephone: 0191 3876494

Sedgefield Community Hospital, Salters Lane, Sedgefield. TS21 3EE

Telephone: 01740 626600

How you can contact the Dysphagia Rapid Response Team

This service is for swallowing impaired patients who are at risk of choking, aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration, who require urgent intervention.

Telephone: 01388 455200

Department Contacts