Specialist teams to tackle post-pandemic school speech therapy backlog
It is hoped earlier targeted support will help those who struggle to talk and understand words before problems escalate.
More than 40,000 children had been waiting 12 weeks or more for speech and language therapy as of June 2024, the Department for Education said.
A lack of early identification can have a devastating impact on children's social skills, attendance, and academic performance.
The Government has backed the Early Language Support for Every Child (Elsec) programme with £3.4 million funding this year, which it said will benefit up to 20,000 more children.
Early intervention is particularly important for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), as numbers have skyrocketed from 1.3 million in 2020 to 1.67 million in 2024 – with one in four of these children requiring extra help with speech and language.
Minister for School Standards Catherine McKinnell said: 'When challenges with speech and language go unnoticed, it can have a devastating impact on children's attainment, attendance, social abilities and future life chances.
'Elsec is turning this around for so many pupils – and particularly those with Send – helping them find their voice and thrive at school and with their friends and family.
'This type of approach is exactly what we want to see in a reformed Send system that delivers the support children need at the earliest stage and restores parents' trust in a system which has let them down for too long.'
Steve Jamieson, chief executive of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, said: 'We're delighted that the Department for Education and NHS England will fund the Early Language Support for Every Child programme until March 2026.
'It has shown that when speech and language therapists, therapy support workers and education staff work together, they can identify children's needs earlier and put timely support in place.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
3 hours ago
- News24
What is National Health Insurance?
The NHI is a policy aimed at providing universal healthcare access for all South Africans, funded through taxes. It establishes a single-funder system to deliver equitable, need-based healthcare, though concerns about affordability and implementation persist. National Health Insurance (NHI) is a health policy aimed at improving universal health coverage and ensuring that everyone in the country has access to quality healthcare in line with their needs and not their ability to pay for health care. What is NHI? The aim of introducing NHI is to ensure every South African has access to quality health care in line with their healthcare needs. The NHI service will be pre-funded by all taxpayers, so that no one pays the costs of what they need when they go to hospital, see a doctor, get medicine, have a diagnostic test or access any other healthcare service. There are many different models of NHI around the world, but generally it is defined as health insurance provided by a government entity and funded by taxes. Public and private sector providers are typically contracted to provide the services that the government entity funds. Healthcare policy since democracy NHI was initially the targeted health policy of the democratic government elected in 1994. It chose to pursue this policy by initially implementing social health insurance. Social health insurance means those who could afford to pay for private healthcare would do so through medical schemes, while those who could not afford it would access state healthcare facilities and only pay according to their means. Regulation of medical schemes was revised to prohibit discrimination on health status and ensure minimum benefits were provided to all members. In order to strengthen cross subsidisation, civil servants were obligated to belong to a scheme, the amalgamation of schemes was encouraged and plans were made to equalise the cost of providing benefits to all members through risk equalisation. It was envisaged that over time, NHI would be introduced with multiple funders, but a single risk equalisation fund. State healthcare facilities, however, remained overburdened and private healthcare became increasingly expensive. South Africa's healthcare spend, relative to other countries, does not match healthcare outcomes, as measured by life expectancy, burden of disease and other leading indicators, that other countries achieve. Renewed focus on NHI The ANC-led government revised its plans for implementing NHI in 2007. A green paper (draft policy) was produced in 2011 and a white paper (NHI policy) in 2015. In 2018 the first draft of the NHI Bill was published and it was tabled in parliament in 2019. The NHI bill was passed by parliament in late 2023 and President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Act into law in May 2024 without specifying an implementation date. The Act has since then been challenged in at least six court cases, two of which were combined for hearing and resulted in a High Court ruling in May 2025, compelling the president to release the full record of how he decided to sign the Act into law despite numerous objections to it. This case is now being appealed. Why the single-funder NHI model? The argument for choosing a single funder NHI system is that the government will become a powerful single purchaser able to bulk purchase healthcare services, drive prices down and ultimately pay for more benefits. There are, however, counter arguments that when there are multiple purchasers of healthcare services, as is the case when there are many medical schemes, there is more competition and innovation by providers. This aspect of the NHI Act is being challenged in court. Some of the legal challenges also point out that even with these efficiencies, NHI may be unaffordable in South Africa given the small tax base and recent lack of economic growth. How will NHI work in South Africa? The NHI Act provides for an NHI Fund to be established to pay for healthcare services for all South Africans and certain foreign nationals. The fund will be governed by a board which reports to parliament. The NHI Fund and the board account to the Minister of Health, who is also required to approve many aspects of the fund's work, including the approval of the benefit design. The fund will co-ordinate the work of a number of committees and units, including: A Benefits Advisory Committee to decide which healthcare services the fund will pay for including the setting in which services are provided and the treatment protocols for those services. A benefits pricing committee that will decide how and what to pay for those services each year. Alternative payment mechanisms will be negotiated, for example, an amount per person for a general practitioner to provide primary healthcare services to a certain number of people who sign up with that doctor. A unit that will accredit providers who can provide healthcare services and a contracting unit that will facilitate contracting with these accredited providers in both the public and private sectors. The performance of providers will also be monitored so that they can be paid in line with their performance in providing healthcare. A procurement unit that will decide what medical devices and other medical supplies to buy and from whom. A central registry of health records for all NHI users. The fund will also report on how NHI is impacting the health of the country. How will NHI be funded? The NHI Act states that the NHI Fund will obtain funding from a number of sources including: General tax revenue, including the amounts government already allocates to healthcare spending for the different provinces; The removal of medical scheme fees tax credits; A payroll tax (a percentage of an employer's wages and salaries) that employers and employees will pay, similar to the way that employees contribute to the Unemployment Insurance Fund; and An additional charge on individual taxpayer's personal income tax. The Act also provides for funding of medical expenses paid out by the Road Accident Fund, Compensation Fund for Occupational Diseases and Injury and the fund managed by the Compensation Commissioner for Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works to be redirected to the NHI fund. The removal of subsidies paid to government medical schemes (Goverment Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), Polmed, Parmed, and so on) has also been included in the NHI White Paper, but is not explicitly mentioned in the NHI Act. What will NHI cost? Estimates on the cost of NHI were produced with the Green Paper in 2011, adjusted in the White Paper in 2015 and have not been updated since. The estimate in the White paper was that NHI would require an additional R256 billion for the healthcare budget by 2025. This was based on an economic growth rate of four percent which has not been achieved. The estimate apparently also does not take into account any deterioration in public health facilities since 2010, the failure to implement aspects of the National Health Act and the reforms that started with GEMS and the Medical Schemes Act in 1998. The cost estimate was done without any decisions on the benefits for which the fund would pay and this could have a material impact on the cost. The Act states that the NHI Board must advise the Minister of Health on the NHI fund's budget. The amount of revenue required will be determined based on the size of the population and the extent and cost of the health benefits to be provided. In order to direct funding to the NHI fund, parliament needs to pass what is known as a money bill. How will the NHI Fund be governed? The fund will be governed by a board and a chief executive officer who will be appointed by the Minister of Health in consultation with the Cabinet. The board will be made up of up to 11 publicly nominated people with relevant expertise and recommended by an advisory committee. They will serve a five-year term. The NHI Act gives the Minister of Health the power to make regulations, to issue directives and make technical decisions relating to the operation of the NHI Fund. The fund must be run in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act and the expenditure and reporting of the fund will be audited by the Auditor General. When will NHI be implemented? The President signed the NHI Act in 2024 without specifying when it would be implemented. The government and the healthcare industry have indicated that realistically it will take 10 to 15 years from signing, without considering any legal challenges. A set of draft regulations that have been published are expected to bring at least 20 of the NHI Act's 58 sections into effect, setting up the NHI Fund's Board and Committees, and appointing the chief executive officer. The Act provides for its implementation in two phases. In phase one, for a period of four years from 2023 to 2026, the fund must: Continue to strengthen the health system by aligning human resources that may be required by NHI users; Develop the National Health Insurance legislation and amendments to other legislation; Undertake initiatives aimed at establishing institutions required for the fund; Purchase health care services for vulnerable groups such as children, women, people with disabilities and the elderly; and Prepare for the establishment of the fund, including developing and implementing administrative and personnel related arrangements. In phase two, between 2026 and 2028: Strengthening of the healthcare system will continue. Additional resources will be mobilised. The fund will start contracting selectively with providers. The fund has begun contracting with providers in some pilot studies but is only set to start purchasing services for vulnerable groups such as children, women, people with disabilities and the elderly in 2028. This article was first published on an initiative by the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA). News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 cannot be held liable for any investment decisions made based on the advice given by independent financial service providers. Under the ECT Act and to the fullest extent possible under the applicable law, News24 disclaims all responsibility or liability for any damages whatsoever resulting from the use of this site in any manner.
CNN
a day ago
- CNN
‘It's heartless, it's careless, and it's deeply damaging' says former NIH director on cuts to medical research
Dr. Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health, speaks to Christiane Amanpour about his decision to leave the agency and what he says is the Trump administration's crackdown on science.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Starmer issues last-ditch appeal as thousands of doctors to strike
Thousands of resident doctors are beginning a five-day strike after talks with the Government collapsed over pay. Resident doctors will take to picket lines across England from 7am on Friday in a move which is expected to disrupt patient care. Members of the public have been urged to come forward for NHS care during the walkout, and are being asked to attend appointments unless told they are cancelled. GP surgeries will open as usual and urgent care and A&E will continue to be available, alongside NHS 111, NHS England said. Sir Keir Starmer made a last-minute appeal to resident doctors, saying the strikes would 'cause real damage'. 'The route the BMA Resident Doctors Committee have chosen will mean everyone loses. My appeal to resident doctors is this: do not follow the BMA leadership down this damaging road. Our NHS and your patients need you,' he wrote in The Times. He added: 'Most people do not support these strikes. They know they will cause real damage.' 'Behind the headlines are the patients whose lives will be blighted by this decision. The frustration and disappointment of necessary treatment delayed. And worse, late diagnoses and care that risks their long-term health. 'It's not fair on patients. It's not fair on NHS staff who will have to step in for cover for those taking action. And it is not fair on taxpayers. 'These strikes threaten to turn back the clock on progress we have made in rebuilding the NHS over the last year, choking off the recovery.' It comes after Wes Streeting sent a personal letter to NHS resident doctors, saying: 'I deeply regret the position we now find ourselves in.' The Health Secretary said while he cannot pledge a bigger pay rise, he has been committed to progress to improve doctors' working lives. He also said he does not now believe the British Medical Association's resident doctors committee (RDC) has 'engaged with me in good faith' over bids to avert the strike. In the letter sent on Thursday afternoon to resident doctors, Mr Streeting said: 'I wanted to write to you personally about the situation we find ourselves in. 'This Government came into office, just over a year ago, with a great deal of sympathy for the arguments that resident doctors were making about pay, working conditions and career progression. 'I was determined to build a genuine partnership with the… RDC to make real improvements on all three fronts. 'We have made progress together. While some of my critics in Parliament and the media believe I was naive to agree such a generous pay deal to end the strikes last year, I stand by that choice.' Mr Streeting said resident doctors have now had an average 28.9% pay award under Labour. He added: 'Strike action should always be a last resort – not the action you take immediately following a 28.9% pay award from a Government that is committed to working with you to further improve your lives at work. 'While I've been honest with the BMA RDC that we cannot afford to go further on pay this year, I was prepared to negotiate on areas related to your conditions at work and career progression, including measures that would put money back in the pockets of resident doctors.' Mr Streeting said that based on talks with the BMA aimed at averting strikes, he had been determined to tackle the 'arduous' training pathway, and 'I made it clear that I was prepared to agree actions to reduce the costs you face as a result of training'. He said he had also been looking at the cost of equipment, food and drink, and 'was prepared to explore how many further training posts could be created – additional to the 1,000 already announced – as early as possible'. Mr Streeting said talks had been progressing but 'I no longer believe that they (RDC) have engaged with me in good faith'. The Health Secretary continued: 'I deeply regret the position we now find ourselves in. 'The public, and I am sure many of you, do not understand the rush to strike action.' Mr Streeting later said there is 'no getting around the fact that these strikes will hit the progress we are making in turning the NHS around'. He added: 'But I am determined to keep disruption to patients at a minimum and continue with the recovery we have begun delivering in the last 12 months after a decade-and-a-half of neglect. We will not be knocked off course.' Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, told the PA news agency health staff will be working 'flat out' to see as many patients as they can during the strike, after NHS England made clear it wants as much pre-planned care as possible to continue. He said: 'Striking doctors should think carefully if they are really doing the right thing for patients, for the NHS and for themselves… 'The strike will throttle hard-won progress to cut waiting lists, but NHS trust leaders and staff will be working flat out to see that as many patients as possible get the care they need.' It is understood that NHS chief Sir Jim Mackey had told trust leaders to try to crack down on resident doctors' ability to work locum shifts during the strike and earn money that way. Leaders have also been encouraged to seek 'derogations', where resident doctors are required to work during the strikes, in more circumstances, the Health Service Journal (HSJ) reported. Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said: 'These strikes were not inevitable – the Government entered negotiations with the BMA in good faith… 'The impact of these strikes and the distress they will cause patients rests with the BMA.' The BMA has argued that real-terms pay has fallen by around 20% since 2008, and is pushing for full 'pay restoration'. The union is taking out national newspaper adverts on Friday, saying it wants to 'lay bare the significant pay difference between a resident doctor and their non-medically qualified assistants'. It said the adverts 'make clear that while a newly qualified doctor's assistant is taking home over £24 per hour, a newly qualified doctor with years of medical school experience is on just £18.62 per hour'. RDC co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said in a statement: 'Pay erosion has now got to the point where a doctor's assistant can be paid up to 30% more than a resident doctor. 'That's going to strike most of the public that use the NHS as deeply unfair. 'Resident doctors are not worth less than they were 17 years ago, but unfortunately they've seen their pay erode by more than 21% in the last two decades. 'We're not working 21% less hard so why should our pay suffer? 'We're asking for an extra £4 per hour to restore our pay. It's a small price to pay for those who may hold your life in their hands.' The statement said Mr Streeting had had every opportunity to prevent the strike, but added: 'We want these strikes to be the last we ever have to participate in. 'We are asking Mr Streeting to get back around the table with a serious proposal as soon as possible – this time with the intent to bring this to a just conclusion.' Resident doctors are qualified doctors in clinical training. They have completed a medical degree and can have up to nine years of working experience as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to five years of working and gaining experience to become a GP. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the framing of the BMA advertising campaign was 'disingenuous'. 'Given their repeated use of debunked ways of measuring inflation to overstate their pay claims, it follows a pattern of deliberately misleading calculations from the BMA,' a spokesperson said. 'The average annual earnings per first year resident doctor last year was £43,275. That is significantly more, in a resident doctor's first year, than the average full-time worker in this country earns. 'Resident doctors in their second year earned an average of £52,300 last year and at the top end of the scale, resident doctors in specialty training earned an average almost £75,000 – this is set to increase further with this year's pay award.' The Conservatives accused Labour of having 'opened the door' to fresh strikes with a 'spineless surrender to union demands last year'. Shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew said: 'They handed out inflation-busting pay rises without reform, and now the BMA are back for more. 'They are disrupting care, ignoring patients and gambling with lives. 'This is a betrayal of the NHS and those who rely on it. 'The public deserves hospitals where the doctors are on the frontline rather than the picket line. 'But every day Labour refuses to stand up to union overreach, Britain moves closer to a health service run on the unions' terms rather than the patients'.'
