AQW 12199/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQW 10327/22-27, to detail the number of whole time equivalent speech and language therapists are currently employed (i) in hospital acute stroke units; and (ii) in community stroke teams, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.
Asked by Danny Donnelly MLA on 20 May 2024
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 20 May 2024
- Answer due by
- 5 June 2024
- Answered
- 6 June 202417 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Information provided by Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts on the whole-time equivalent of speech and language therapists employed in hospital and community stroke teams, at 31 March 2024, is detailed in the table below.
| HSC Trust | Speech and language therapists employed in stroke services (WTE) at 31 March 2024 | |
| Hospital stroke units | Community stroke teams | |
| Belfast 1 | 3.5 | 3.3 |
| Northern 2 | 0.8 | 2.5 |
| South Eastern | 0.8 | 3.6 |
| Southern 3 | 2.26 | 3.5 |
| Western 4 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
Notes:
In BHSCT, there is an additional 1.0 WTE speech & language therapist with direct clinical, management, and professional responsibilities over both hospital and community stroke services.
NHSCT note that an additional 0.5 WTE speech & language therapist time from the main inpatient team can provide communication support to stroke patients.
SHSCT note that 0.65 WTE of the 2.26 WTE are based in the acute hospital Craigavon area, the remainder are in non-acute hospitals.
In WHSCT, the community speech & language therapists provide services to hospital stroke units on a sessional basis. This amounts to 1.2 WTE of the 3.0 WTE community staff available.