Speech Pathology
We provide specialist assessment and management for adults who experience swallowing and/or communication difficulties.
General enquiries
7074 2446
What we do
Speech pathology services provide client-centred assessment and management of swallowing and communication difficulties. These may be related to:
- mouth and throat related cancers (including laryngectomy)
- voice related difficulties
- complex swallowing problems.
The service runs across acute inpatients, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient, home and community settings.
Our goal is to achieve functional outcomes for clients, that enable them to live with optimal independence, safety and quality of life.
Speech pathologists are university trained allied health professionals with expertise in the assessment and treatment of communication, swallowing and upper airway difficulties and are eligible for membership of Speech Pathology Australia.
Swallowing assessment
An Outpatient assessment service is offered to assist in determining diagnosis and management recommendations for complex oropharyngeal swallowing presentations where these cannot be managed by other community, rehabilitation or local area health networks.
We do not diagnose, assess or manage oesophageal dysphagia.
It may subsequently be determined that a FEES +/- medical referral for a joint radiological DF speech pathology swallow study are recommenced to assist with diagnosis and management planning.
Ongoing management is referred back to appropriate regional local area health network or other where appropriate.
Where a ‘DF speech pathology swallow study’ is requested and the patient has otherwise not received a clinical assessment of swallowing by a speech pathologist prior to the investigation, a referral may be made to the speech pathology department.
Credentialed speech pathologists are able to perform fibre optic endoscopic examination of swallowing function if required as part of their clinical assessment
CALHN Speech Pathology Outpatient flexible nasendoscopic examination (PDF 395KB)
Voice Clinic and Tumour Surveillance Clinic
The voice clinic provides joint ENT/Speech pathology examination of the larynx and laryngeal function for presentations including voice disorders, chronic cough and paradoxical vocal fold dysfunction (PVFD).
Patients with chronic cough and/or PVCD will require examination by a private/public respiratory physician in addition to a private or ENT specialist.
The latter may be achieved via referral for joint ENT/Speech pathologist examination of the larynx and laryngeal function to the Royal Adelaide diagnostic voice clinic.
The tumour surveillance clinic operates similarly to the voice clinic except that it provides assessment and reviews to patients who have undergone treatment for laryngeal cancer, including surgery radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Patients requiring review of particular vocal fold pathologies and/or have been surgically managed for the same, are triaged and seen in the tumour surveillance clinic as appropriate.
For patients who have undergone a Laryngectomee, we provide education and support, voice prosthesis usage, electro larynx usage, dysphagia support.
We also support other head and neck related issues, including communication difficulties and dysphagia post treatment (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy), for head and neck cancers.
Where to find us
Outpatient clinic located on Level 3F (ground floor), Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Check appointment information and screens on arrival at the RAH, for the specific location.
Who we are
- Jacqueline Beaty - Director
Allied health services accept GP, private specialists, allied health and other health professional referrals.
Once your referral has been received it will be triaged according to clinical urgency.
If your referral is accepted, you will either:
- receive a letter, phone call or text message confirming your appointment time, date and location
- receive a letter confirming you have been waitlisted for an appointment.
If the referral is declined, your GP or referring medical practitioner will be notified.
Outpatient services
Find out information about specialist outpatient appointments, how to be referred, plus information when attending an outpatient clinic.
Your outpatient appointment
Contact us to:
- change your appointment time
- cancel your appointment
- find out triage status
- general outpatient enquiries.
If you need to cancel or change your appointment time, let us know as soon as possible.
Allied health services accept GP, private specialists, allied health and other health professional referrals.
A written referral is required prior to an appointment being issued. Emailed or faxed referrals are preferred.
Referrals should include:
- patient details - address, date of birth, contact phone number, medicare number, pension card
- reason for referral
- relevant clinical history of the patient
- list of current medications
- current treatment regimen
- recent relevant test results – x-ray, pathology, etc
- referrer's name and contact details.
ADD FORMS OR SPECIFIC REFERRAL GUIDELINES HERE
Urgent and serious referrals
If you are concerned about the appointment being delayed or if the patient's condition is deteriorating, contact the registrar to discuss.
Registrars are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Patients requiring immediate assessment should be sent directly to the Emergency Department.
Referrals for specific clinics
Before patients are referred for Speech Pathology Assessment / Management of voice they will require examination and diagnosis from an ENT specialist via private ENT, RAH ENT outpatient appointment or joint ENT/Speech Pathology Voice Clinic.
In addition to information included in correspondence, referrals should include details of any recent ENT examination.
It is important that referrals be addressed correctly to any one of the attending ENT Consultants as follows:
Dr JC Hodge, Dr Andrew Foreman or Dr Suren Krishnan (ARE THESE STILL CORRECT?)
E-referrals are preferred.
*** ENT CONSULTANTS ***
Royal Adelaide Diagnostic Voice Clinic
C/- Speech Pathology
Any request for a joint radiology/speech pathology modified barium swallow study will require a medical referral.
The letter of referral should include details outlined and be addressed to speech pathology.
An accompanying radiological referral form should state ’DF speech pathology swallow study’ as the request procedure.
Unless the patient has already received a recent clinical assessment of swallowing by a treating speech pathologist a separate request for speech pathology clinical assessment of swallowing is required.