Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist Acute Medicine/Surgery
| Posting date: | 18 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £47,810 - £54,710 Per annum, pro rata |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 17 April 2026 |
| Location: | Preston, PR2 9HT |
| Company: | Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7620508/438-PB7819 |
Summary
A Vacancy at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
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 case load is large and varied including; emergency medicine, respiratory medicine, enhance 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 be reviewing models of service delivery to streamline pathways, enhance multi-disciplinary team working, delivering 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.
Main duties of the job
• 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 (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 respectively. 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 Twitter @SLT_LTHTR or Bluesky page @LTHTR-SLT
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 withing SLT for both staff and patients.
• To directly support delivery of therapy to patients.
• To provide leadership and management support.
This advert closes on Sunday 12 Apr 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 case load is large and varied including; emergency medicine, respiratory medicine, enhance 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 be reviewing models of service delivery to streamline pathways, enhance multi-disciplinary team working, delivering 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.
Main duties of the job
• 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 (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 respectively. 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 Twitter @SLT_LTHTR or Bluesky page @LTHTR-SLT
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 withing SLT for both staff and patients.
• To directly support delivery of therapy to patients.
• To provide leadership and management support.
This advert closes on Sunday 12 Apr 2026