Provision of surgical voice restoration in England: questionnaire survey of speech and language therapists

Abstract

Surgical voice restoration service provision varies within and between cancer networks. There is a need for a national management and care protocol, an educational programme for out of hours service providers, and a review of current speech and language therapist staffing levels in England.

The role of allied healthcare professionals in head and neck cancer surveillance: A systematic review

“…The provision of surgical voice restoration in the United Kingdom was assessed by Bradley et al They found wide‐ranging practices in the 72 units, undertaking at least 10 laryngectomies a year, that returned their questionnaire. The SALT service provided surgical voice rehabilitation in most cases (45.8%) but in some units it was the Doctor or Specialist Nurses’ role . There was also a discrepancy in who provided out of hours care with ENT doctors playing the biggest role in this setting.…”

“…There was also a discrepancy in who provided out of hours care with ENT doctors playing the biggest role in this setting. They call for a nationally agreed management protocol for addressing prosthetic voice problems particularly in the emergency setting …”

“…The SALT service provided surgical voice rehabilitation in most cases (45.8%) but in some units it was the Doctor or Specialist Nurses' role. 23 There was also a discrepancy in who provided out of hours care with ENT doctors playing the biggest role in this setting. They call for a nationally agreed management protocol for addressing prosthetic voice problems particularly in the emergency setting.…”

“…They call for a nationally agreed management protocol for addressing prosthetic voice problems particularly in the emergency setting. 23 A team in Brisbane, Australia performed a qualitative study in which they interviewed 24 patients following non-surgical treatment for HNC. 24 Their thematic analysis highlighted the need for emotional and psychosocial support, from the SALT team, for patients with dysphagia in addition to the physical changes that are often focused on primarily.…”

Focus on the larynx

“…Voice rest may be beneficial in terms of vocal fold healing but can have adverse effects on the patient's quality of life. In another article on vocal rehabilitation, Bradley and colleagues 3 investigate the provision of surgical voice restoration in England for patients with laryngeal cancer. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this study's findings indicate a wide variation in the availability and quality of surgical voice restoration.…”