RCSLT Workforce and Vacancy Survey

299 speech and language therapy services responded to the survey, conducted in the Spring of 2024. The results show that recruitment is challenging across multiple levels of the profession.

RCSLT Chief Executive, Steve Jamieson said: “Speech and language therapy services are close to breaking point with high vacancy rates and not enough people in the workforce to fill the roles. Depleted teams are grappling with supporting increasing numbers of people with communication, eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties, with waiting lists spiralling out of control.  

“The speech and language therapy workforce crisis must be addressed urgently, and we look forward to working with the new Government to find sustainable solutions.” 

UK    

• 17% SLT vacancy rate (both NHS and independent sector) 
• 16% SLT vacancy rate for both NHS Children’s and Adults SLT services  
• 25% NHS SLT vacancy rate in services supporting people with learning disabilities  
• The independent sector SLT vacancy rate is higher (20%) than it is in NHS services (16%) 
• 27% of independent SLT services said they were contracted to the NHS to provide SLT services 
• 32% of independent SLT services also said they had to turn down new or extended contracts in the last year because they couldn’t recruit qualified SLTs 
• 66% of SLT services said that Band 6 posts were the most difficult to recruit to, while 25% of services said this was the case for Band 5 posts.  

England 

• 19% of SLT posts are vacant (NHS and independent sector)
• 26% of SLT posts in NHS learning disability services are vacant 
• Just under a quarter of London’s SLT posts are vacant 

Scotland 

• 17% of SLT posts are vacant (NHS and independent sector) 

Northern Ireland 

• 14% of NHS SLT posts are vacant – NB Only one independent sector SLT service responded 

Wales

• 6% vacancy rate across NHS SLT services – no responses were received from the independent sector.