University News Last updated 04 February
The UK's Health and Social Care Minister has agreed to meet with a Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) expert at 探花直播 (BCU) after his petition calling for more Government investment in SLT provision gained over 10,000 signatures in just 15 days.
Mikey Akers, 23, has been raising awareness of verbal dyspraxia for years and works with students and researchers at BCU to share his lived experience and to help train new therapists as an expert-by-experience.
His , which called for more investment in SLT nationwide, was debated in Parliament at the end of January after being introduced by the MP for Lichfield, Dave Robertson.
鈥淚 made some amazing connections on the day, and I鈥檓 so pleased to know I鈥檒l be meeting the Minister as a result of the campaign,鈥� said Mikey.
鈥淚t was exciting to see the very people who can make a change talking about the state of speech and language services here in the UK.
鈥淚 really hope this was the first steps towards change.鈥�
As of , nearly 90,000 people were on a waiting list for therapy, with children and young people accounting for more than 60,000 of that number.
Of those seeking therapy, 45% were waiting for more than 12 weeks for an appointment.
According to鈥�, 369,941 pupils had speech, language and communication needs in England in 2023/24 - an increase of more than 64% from 225,245 in 2015/16.鈥�
Quoting from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), Dave Robertson MP began the debate by describing current services as a postcode lottery.
鈥淚ntegrated Care Board spending per child on SLT can vary from 58p to 拢16.35,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he issue needs to be looked at through the lens of social justice鈥� 25% of all children, when they go to primary school, have some form of diagnosed or undiagnosed speech, language and communications need.
鈥淚f one looks at the most deprived areas of the country, that percentage rises to 50%.
鈥淲e know that it is not always about just funding or putting more money into the system.
鈥淣o amount of funding in the world can replace a human being actually doing that role, or the skills, training and care that they provide for the people they are supporting.鈥�
Gillian Rudd, Senior Lecturer in SLT at BCU, said more needed to be done to encourage therapists to join and stay in the profession.
鈥淢Ps from across all parties recognised the unique and important role of speech and language therapists, and shared stories about the difference that therapists have made for their families and constituents,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t was also important that they recognised the myriad challenges that services are facing, especially that the workforce needs better planning, recruitment and retention.鈥�
Mikey and Gillian were praised by a number of MPs, including Mikey鈥檚 local MP Saqib Bhatti, who first started campaigning with him in 2022.
He described Mikey as a 鈥済iant when it comes to standing up for children and adults with verbal dyspraxia鈥� and said he had 鈥済iven a voice to so many鈥�.
Mikey and Gillian were joined at Westminster by footballer and commentator Chris Kamara, who was diagnosed with apraxia three years ago.
He described the debate as 鈥渦nbelievably positive鈥�.
The Minister for Health and Social Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, said SLT provision would feature heavily in the new NHS 10-year plan.
鈥淐ommunity health services - and speech and language therapies in particular - speak to the three seismic shifts that will drive our 10-year plan: shifting healthcare from hospitals to communities; focusing on prevention; and embracing digital care,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 would of course be delighted to meet Mikey, Chris and the team at a mutually convenient time to discuss the project and how to take it forward.鈥�
For more information on BCU鈥檚 Speech and Language Therapy Clinic, head to the website.
Photo: (L-R) Louisa Akers (Mikey鈥檚 mother), Chris Kamara (TV Presenter and Verbal Dyspraxia Campaigner), Samantha Berry (SLT Campaigner), Saqib Bhatti MP (Solihull MP working with Mikey), Peter Just (RCSLT), Gillian Rudd, (BCU Senior Lecturer SLT), Mikey Akers (Verbal Dyspraxia Campaigner and BCU Expert by Experience), Sharon Oliphant (BCU Expert by Experience), Jordan Hunt (BCU Expert by Experience) and Georgia Leckie (Apraxia Campaigner).
Credit: Saqib Bhatti MP