Appointments are generally offered on a one-to-one basis, either as a clinic appointment, telephone consultation or video call consultation. Home visits are only offered for people who are confined to their homes.

During your initial appointment your therapist will:

  • discuss the reason for your referral to the service
  • gather a case history from you
  • discuss your therapy goals ie. what do you want to achieve from your therapy sessions
  • begin to assess your communication and/or swallowing needs
  • arrange appropriate follow-up, such as, ongoing therapy appointments, referral to other services etc.

If you’re seeing a therapist regarding your swallowing, they will ask you to bring in a drink and some food for the assessment.

Most appointments will last between 30 minutes to an hour.

If you have been offered a video consultation this will be using a software called Attend Anywhere. A guide on what to expect can be found here (AA Leaflet). Written written instructions on how to access the appointment can be found here ( A guide for your SLT video call)

Please watch this short video (How to Use Attend Anywhere - YouTube) for further information on how to use Attend Anywhere.

Videofluoroscopy appointments are conducted at the Blackpool Victoria Hospital. Either your Speech and Language Therapist, GP or medical specialist would have referred you to this service.

A videofluoroscopy is an x-ray of your swallow. You will be asked to bring in different foods to your appointment. During the x-ray you will be asked to swallow different drink and food mixed with barium. This will allow the Speech and Language Therapist to see what happens while you swallow.

The therapist conducting the x-ray will contact you before your appointment to discuss what to bring with you and give other instructions.

Watch the following video (link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRvYL_TAtKI) which gives an overview of what to expect at your videofluoroscopy appointment. Please note this video was produced by a health service in the USA therefore does not depict an exact overview of the room used and staff involved here at the BVH.

Please let the Speech and Language Therapy Department know as soon as you can if you are unable to attend your appointment.

If you miss your appointment, please contact the department as soon as possible to discuss next steps. Failure to attend your appointment without contacting the department may result in your discharge from the service.