More than 6,500 children are currently waiting for initial contact with a speech and language therapist in Scotland, figures obtained by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) have revealed.
As of June 2023, 6,503 are on waiting lists to see a speech and language therapist, according to freedom of information requests carried out by the RCSLT across all of Scotland’s health boards, local authorities and health and social care partnerships covering the last five years.
The college’s head of Scotland, Glenn Carter, warned numbers are at their highest in five years and told the PA news agency there were few signs of the situation improving.
The average longest wait for initial contact with a speech and language therapist has increased in the last five years by 7.6 months.
“Communication is not a luxury; it is a fundamental human right,” Mr Carter said.
“Speech and language therapists are a precious resource for improving communication skills for the children of Scotland and we need to preserve this resource.
“Every child’s voice deserves to be heard, and it’s our responsibility to ensure they have the support they need to thrive.
“Teachers are reporting alarming numbers of children coming to school with minimal spoken language and it is the number one concern reported by health visitors.”
