80 Video fluoroscopy swallow service; an allied health professional collaboration

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) form the third largest clinical workforce in health and social care in England (NHS England, 2017). Traditionally, the AHP workforce has provided high quality care to patients across a wide range of care pathways and in a variety of settings. In recent times, efforts to modernise the health service have included a drive towards a more flexible workforce and a reconsideration of the roles of different members of the clinical team. This transition has facilitated the formation of multidisciplinary teams involving a range of AHPs providing a key opportunity to improve access to care, reduce waiting times and NHS costs (Department of Health, 2014). One example of this collaboration is the Video Fluoroscopy Swallow Service provided by Radiographers and Speech and Language Therapists (SLT) at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The service provides accurate, low dose x-ray screening for the assessment of swallow physiology in children. Results are used to inform multi-disciplinary management of eating and drinking difficulties, including aspiration risk. We outline the service and explain how this method of collaborative working harnesses the clinical expertise of both professions, providing a high-quality service which contributes to the improvement of patient outcomes and experience. Learning outcomes from this service include the importance of having clearly defined AHP roles, and patient suitability criteria as well as excellent communication between the whole multi-disciplinary team. The opportunity for extended scope practice provides staff with job satisfaction and skill development. This Video Fluoroscopy swallow study model highlights how AHP’s working collaboratively can make a vital contribution to efficient use of clinical spaces, reducing costs and waiting lists while providing high quality care for children at Great Ormond Street Hospital. It is essential that such collaborations at Great Ormond Street Hospital are celebrated and actively encouraged enabling service improvements.