Speech and Language Therapy Department

The department provides a service across a broad range of areas including Medicine for the Elderly, head and neck cancer, radiation oncology, general medical and surgical specialities, and critical care. A specialist outpatient service is also provided for the management of patients with cleft lip and palate and velopharyngeal dysfunction ranging in age from five years into adulthood. Our service is part of the combined cleft lip and palate multidisciplinary team.

Referral Procedure 

• Outpatients require a doctor's referral from within the hospital to access our service. GPs should refer patients to their local primary care Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) service. A waiting list applies for outpatients.
• Referrals for videofluoroscopic examination of swallow (VFU) and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallow (FEES) can only be accepted for St James’s Hospital patients by contacting the department directly. 
• For children with suspected velopharyngeal dysfunction, there is an open referral service for community speech and language therapists for second opinions. For further information please contact Aisling O'Dwyer, Senior Speech and Language Therapist on; (01) 416 2635.
• Inpatients presenting with communication and/ or swallowing difficulties should be referred to the SLT Department on EPR, the hospital's electronic patient record.

Outpatient appointments
If you are an outpatient you will receive an appointment directly from the Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Department. All information including the location of the appointment is written on the letter.

The SLT Department provides a service to outpatients within specific specialities across a number of locations in the hospital:

• Speech and Language Therapy Department, Brookfield Road
• Robert Mayne Day Hospital as part of the Medicine for the Elderly Directorate 
• Luke's Radiation Oncology Centre, St James's Hospital 
• Designated clinics

*Other outpatient speech and language therapy appointments are held in the Speech and Language Therapy Department or at specialty clinics. Please check your appointment letter or with your therapist for details.   

Cancelling your appointment

• If you need to cancel your appointment please give us at least 24 hours’ notice. This will allow another patient on the waiting list to get an appointment.

Patients who fail to attend appointments without giving notice may not be offered further appointments. If you have missed an appointment, please contact the department as soon as possible.

Laryngectomy Education Videos

Changing your Low Pressure Exdwelling Voice Prosthesis - This video is password protected. Please speak to your Speech and Language Therapist if you require access

To view videos demonstrating how to use a nebuliser and how to self suction, please click here

The department has an ongoing commitment to student training and has an SLT practice tutor based onsite. The practice tutor coordinates student placements, provides clinical tutorials and facilitates inter-professional learning opportunities for SLTs in training.

Transition Year students
A half-day information session is held approximately twice a year.  It is targeted at transition year students and anyone who may be interested in pursuing a career in speech and language therapy.  Please contact the department for information.

Work Experience
Unfortunately, it is not possible to accommodate requests for work experience due to the high levels of demand and ongoing department commitments to undergraduate student training.

It is recommended that anyone interested in Speech and Language Therapy as a career should visit the Irish Association of Speech & Language Therapists' website for more information.