NHS charity funds new technology to support patients with communication and swallowing problems
Pictured: Staff from the Adult Speech and Language Therapy team with the new equipment
Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, has awarded £33,118 to the Adult Speech and Language Therapy Service to purchase a suite of Iowa Oral Performance Instrument assessment and rehabilitation devices.
These clinically validated tools are used in supporting those with communication and swallowing problems by measuring and strengthening the tongue and lip muscles. By providing measurements and biofeedback, the devices support personalised therapy plans, enhance patient engagement, and improve therapy outcomes.
The funding has enabled the Health Board to expand access to the devices across multiple acute and community sites and will support a wide range of patients, particularly those recovering from stroke; those with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and motor neurone disease; and those with age-related swallowing difficulties linked to frailty.
Within stroke services, the device will have a huge impact on the rehabilitation of acute stroke patients with new swallowing and communication difficulties, supporting the patients to move towards eating and drinking normally and being able to communicate with their family and friends. These devices will be a valuable asset for patients across all four acute sites and for patients in the community within the three counties of Hywel Dda, ensuring the health board is offering patients an equitable service.
Alison Thomas, Head of the Adult Speech and Language Therapy Service at Hywel Dda, said: “Our teams are seeing increasing numbers of patients who require targeted therapy to help with swallowing and communication difficulties, so having access to these devices across multiple sites will make a significant difference to the care we can provide. The devices allow us to offer precise assessment and rehabilitation using objective measurement and biofeedback, which greatly improves patient engagement and outcomes.
“We are extremely grateful to our local communities. It’s your generosity which enables us to deliver more high‑quality and innovative care to people across Hywel Dda.”
Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, said: “We are delighted to fund this important development for Speech and Language Therapy services. The funding has come from our all-purpose fund, Making a Difference, which supports the areas of greatest need across Hywel Dda.
“Donations to Hywel Dda Health Charities help us provide additional equipment and innovation that go above and beyond what the NHS can ordinarily provide. This investment will have a real and lasting impact on patient experience, recovery, and quality of life.”