Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist Acute Medicine/Surgery

The closing date is 12 April 2026

We are seeking an enthusiastic clinical lead speech and language therapist with a passion for improving care and leading change within both the acute and outpatient services.

As a large teaching hospital and tertiary centre, the caseload is large and varied, including emergency medicine, respiratory medicine, enhanced high care (invasive and non invasive ventilation), gastroenterology, vascular and orthopaedic surgery, acute frailty, admission avoidance, critical care step down pathways and instrumental assessment. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading the service across the two sites, in collaboration with a band 7 clinical lead who is already in post. Together, you will review models of service delivery to streamline pathways, enhance multi disciplinary team working, deliver training and education to join up working and improve the quality of care delivered to our patients with swallowing and communication needs.

This person will understand acute care and be motivated to deliver a high quality service with a vision on how to improve patient outcomes and flow, with the opportunity to work across the inpatient and outpatient pathway and in FEES and videofluoroscopy clinics.

The service embraces evidence based practice, CPD is actively supported and you will have the opportunity to continue to develop your clinical portfolio. Part time and flexible working will be considered. A band 6-7 development may be considered for the right candidate.

• To lead and provide operational management of the Speech & Language therapy service to acute medicine and surgery.
• To lead service developments and support staff working.
• To use advanced clinical skills to assess, diagnose and independently manage complex dysphagia and disorders of communication respectively.
• To represent speech and language therapy in multidisciplinary team settings and contribute highly specialist expertise for the management of patients with communication and swallowing difficulties.
• To integrate with the multidisciplinary teams and contribute to training and education and quality improvement projects as appropriate.
• To demonstrate skills in motivating patients to engage in therapeutic process.
• To use excellent organisational and prioritisation skills and a flexible approach to work practice.
• To participate in instrumental assessment using videofluoroscopy and fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES).
• To participate in appropriate trust level service developments which impact on the care delivered to patients with swallowing and communication difficulties.
• To maintain clinical professional development and be up to date with research and advancements within this clinical area.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust is a large acute organisation, delivering specialist services both locally and regionally. The Speech Therapy Department is situated at the Royal Preston Hospital site; however, we also deliver services to Chorley District Hospital.

We are a dedicated SLT service with excellent patient care at the core of our values, and our varied caseload provides complex presentations across dysphagia, communication and voice. We have established VFS and FEES clinics, with in service training to provide sustainability. We strive to continuously improve our SLT services through service development and innovation and are keen that audit / research are part of our clinical roles. We have strong clinical leadership within the department and structured clinical supervision and CPD is promoted.

You will join a large friendly team of speech and language therapists covering a range of specialist services. The department is rated 'GOLD' on the STAR quality assurance framework, with a strong commitment to evidence based practice. CPD and training are well supported.

To find out more about us, look at our or Bluesky

Please see attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust:

• To communicate and collaborate with all SLT stakeholders.
• To provide leadership and highly specialist clinical skills within acute medicine and surgery.
• To support personal and people development.
• To ensure the health, safety and security of self and colleagues.
• To support service development and planning.
• To support the Clinical Governance and Quality agenda within SLT.
• To support equality of opportunity and access within SLT for both staff and patients.
• To directly support delivery of therapy to patients.
• To provide leadership and management support.

• HCPC registration
• RCSLT registration
• Graduate or post graduate qualification in Speech and Language Pathology
• Post graduate courses in relevant clinical area of Speech and Language Therapy
• Evidence of CPD in relevant areas working towards master's level

• Highly specialised knowledge in clinical area
• Assess, diagnose and manage complex dysphagia
• Assess, diagnose and manage complex communication disorders
• Awareness of emerging assessment and treatment developments and able to critically appraise the evidence base
• Experience of planning and delivering training/education to MDT
• Trained in instrumental dysphagia assessment, VFS and FEES
• Experience undertaking local research projects
• Experience of working with an out patient caseload

• Highly specialist skills in clinical area
• Implementation of relevant national guidance
• Advanced communication skills
• Advanced diagnostic and clinical reasoning skills
• Ability to prioritise workload
• Experience in audit
• Teaching experience
• CPD and clinical governance commitment
• Supervision and line management of staff
• Clinical educator
• Awareness of NHS strategic regional and national plan
• Experience of leading a team
• Analytical skills
• Excel and data collation skills
• Experience of audit/service evaluation across MDT/different services

• Invests in trust values
• Clinical leadership skills
• Able to work flexibly and multi task.
• Self motivated and able to motivate others
• Takes responsibility for high quality care and performance
• Able to travel
• Leadership training

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£47,810 to £54,710 a yearPer annum, pro rata