Upper Airway Consultant Speech and Language Therapist

You will work within the asthma and allergy clinical group, overseeing service delivery to patients with breathing, voice and sensory changes, secondary to laryngeal dysfunction. The typical caseload includes assessing and managing inducible laryngeal obstruction / vocal cord dysfunction, chronic refractory cough and laryngeal hypersensitivity, and related voice and swallowing difficulties.
A core component of our service is the continuous laryngoscopy during provocation (CLP) clinic, which you will lead. You must have significant experience in performing and interpreting laryngoscopies autonomously, often in challenging cases, to achieve accurate upper airway diagnoses and to aid in therapy progress. A laryngoscopy examination will typically form part of the interview process.
You will manage two upper airway speech and language therapists (Bands 5 and 6), and be a key member of the upper airway multidisciplinary team. You will be expected to further our reputation as a leading centre for the treatment of upper airway disorders., The post holder will be an expert, independent clinician of the highest level within the field of upper airway disorders, providing evidence-based assessment and treatment to patients with a range of breathing, voice and throat difficulties arising from the larynx. He/she will also play a central role in the upper airway multidisciplinary team, comprising respiratory physicians, ENT specialists, and physiotherapists.
The post holder will have regional, national and, potentially international, recognition for their knowledge and experience in treating upper airway disorders and will be routinely called upon to provide second opinions and consult on complex clinical cases. He/she will routinely engage in supervising less experienced clinicians and in teaching physicians and allied health professionals at local, regional and national levels.
He/she will be responsible for the effectiveness of the upper airway SLT service, monitoring performance, activity, and service outcomes, using initiative to design and implement new models of practice., To deploy excellent and effective interpersonal skills to foster and maintain positive therapeutic relationships with patients and their families, showing empathy at all times.
To communicate unwelcome or sensitive information to patients and their families with the utmost sensitivity and understanding, providing emotional support and reassurance during times of distress.
To communicate with all colleagues and healthcare professionals clearly and respectfully, in order to promote collaboration and multidisciplinary team working for the benefit of patients, with an ability to negotiate as necessary (e.g., regarding caseload prioritisation, treatment options).
To meet regularly with team members, line manager/senior management, service lead, consultants, business and finance managers, adapting communication style as required.
To chair team/service meetings, as requested, and to cascade information to team members appropriately.
Patient care
Direct
To be solely responsible for the operational management of the upper airway SLT service, with a strong multidisciplinary ethos, and to ensure the highest level of clinical governance.
To coordinate, develop and evaluate all aspects of the upper airway SLT clinical service, including outpatient clinics, day case admissions for laryngoscopy, inpatient assessment, group therapy, and ensure all patients receive an appropriate form of treatment.
To triage referrals and identify a pathway of care with the appropriate team member.
To independently assess, diagnose and treat patients with complex upper airway symptoms referred locally and nationally, including those who have been treated unsuccessfully previously, and those with psychogenic presentations, and to document expert clinical decisions in case notes and reports.
To make expert clinical judgements on the need and suitability for laryngoscopy +/- provocation and to perform laryngoscopies independently, seeking ENT and respiratory review appropriately via the upper airway MDT.
To analyse and interpret laryngoscopic images with a high degree of detail, in order to personalise therapy to restore normal function where possible.
To be a key member of the upper airway MDT and participate in other ward rounds within asthma and allergy as required.
To provide highly specialist clinical advice on supra-regional referrals to RBH, to SLT colleagues and other clinical staff nationally to liaise with external agencies throughout the country regarding patient management.
To maintain and demonstrate expert knowledge in upper airway work underpinned by current evidence-based practice.
To reflect on own clinical practice, providing evidence of advanced clinical judgement in order to lead the upper airway SLT service and improve patient outcomes.
To request advice from other specialist clinical services as required.
Indirect
To act in a consultative role, nationally and internationally, to non-specialist and specialist upper airway health professionals, providing expert clinical advice and second opinions to ensure accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
To act as an information resource in the field of upper airway for therapists locally, nationally and internationally and to supervise visiting clinicians/observers as appropriate.
To draw on advanced knowledge in order to provide professional leadership in upper airway management and to participate in national and international initiatives to improve patient care (e.g., development of RCSLT position paper, guidelines on extended scope of practice).
To work within directorate and Trust policy and procedures at all times and to adhere to professional standards of practice.
To have in-depth knowledge of and adhere to RCSLT Professional Guidelines, and to be a lead author in the revision of such guidelines and policy documents.
Policy & Service development
To be solely responsible for the monitoring and interpretation of clinical activity and performance data, to ensure exceptional service quality provision and to highlight areas for service development and change.
To independently evaluate all aspects of clinical team activity and performance and feed back to the upper airway service lead and general manager of the lung division, reporting on issues of quality, risk, equity, activity, workforce and service delivery.
To provide leadership and direction for senior managers, regarding operational management, future strategy and need for service development.
To write robust business cases based on a justified need within the upper airway SLT service, to ensure the service remains financially stable and responsive to increased demand.
To lead on patient safety and quality initiatives including audit and service evaluation.
To investigate, handle and report on complaints and incidents in the upper airway service.
To develop strategies around clinical risk management in the upper airway service.
To take a lead role in the development of standard operating procedures and clinical protocols at a local, national and international level.
To sit on national advisory boards and participate in other working groups to influence the development of clinical standards and policy.
Please job description document for full details of main responsibilities.
Guy's and St Thomas' celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study's at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.
Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy.
As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends.
Flexible working
We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking in to account the individual's personal circumstances as well the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the on-boarding process.
Your e-mail address is important to us - We communicate to all job applicants via the e-mail address which has been provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e-mail on a regular basis.
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NHS AfC: Band 8b
Guy's and St Thomas' is among the UK's busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.
Guy's is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas' has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children's Hospital.
Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions.
Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients.
In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.
We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King's Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King's College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit.
Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of 'good'. Our adult community services achieved a rating of 'outstanding'.
The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients.
We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS., Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield - as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and - as part of King's Health Partners - we are one of England's eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research's biomedical research centres, established with King's College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities.
Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals joined Guy's and St Thomas' in February 2021 and is the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK and among the largest in Europe. We provide treatment for people with heart and lung disease, including rare and complex conditions, offering some of the most sophisticated treatment that is available anywhere in the world.