Why Waiting Lists for Speech and Language Therapy Services Are Getting Longer - and What You Can Do

Introduction - A System Under Strain

Across the UK, waiting lists for Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) are significantly long. As of November 2024, 65,114 children were waiting for Speech and Language Therapy, and of this, 45.6% had been waiting over 12 weeks (UK Government, 2025).

With knock-on impacts on academic attainment and children’s mental health, the pressure is mounting for local authorities, schools, and families alike.

Timely SALT support is critical. No one wants to delay interventions that help children communicate, learn, and thrive. Yet in today’s climate, these delays are becoming the norm.


What Is Causing the Backlog? 

A Surge Post-COVID in Communication Needs: According to 2023 research from Speech and Language UK, the majority of teachers believe that there are children who are behind with their language development as a result of Covid. In fact, 67% of primary teachers and 47% of secondary school teachers surveyed believe that they have at least one child who is behind with their speaking/language as a result of the pandemic. What’s more, of 58 primary schools surveyed in England, 76% said that pupils starting school in September 2020 needed more support than in previous years.

National Shortage of Qualified SALT Professionals: Research from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, which was conducted amongst managers of Speech and Language Therapy services across the UK in 2023, showed that the vacancy rate for SALT professionals across the UK had reached 21% - an amount that is far too significant to ignore.

Underfunded NHS and Community Services Stretched Beyond Capacity:
Years of underinvestment in children’s therapy services mean that, even where professionals are available, they are often juggling high caseloads and limited capacity.

Complex Cases Requiring Longer-Term Intervention
Children with more complex or multiple needs often require intensive, ongoing support. These cases naturally require more therapist time, reducing capacity for new assessments or early interventions.

Inefficient referral/triage systems in some Local Authorities
In some areas, bottlenecks begin at the point of triage. Lack of clarity around criteria, poor communication between schools and services, and inconsistent prioritisation processes all add to delays.


The Cost of Waiting

So, what is the cost of waiting? The impact of hanging on can be significant on both a child’s language and lifelong development:

Missed Milestones:
Postponing intervention can first and foremost lead to missed milestones. Children’s brains are most plastic and responsive to language input during the first few years of life (Kuhl, 2010),making this a vital period to work on developing language skills. 

What’s more, children who receive early speech-language therapy show significantly better outcomes in language, literacy, and social skills (Law et al., 2004) and delaying support can thus have a significant knock-on effect on academic attainment.

Social/Emotional Implications:
The link is strong between speech and language skills and mental health. People with a primary communication difficulty are at a greater risk of experiencing mental health problems than their peers, commonly anxiety and depression (Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, 2025). Research has also shown that 81% of children with emotional and behavioural disorders have significant language difficulties, often left unidentified (Hollo et al., 2014). 

Plus, when verbal and non-verbal communication skills are proven to be effective techniques to support children’s mental health, those who are unable to communicate are subsequently unable to receive this support.

Strain On Schools Managing Unmet Needs
Waiting can lead to a backlog of children requiring support, placing stress and pressure on school staff and SENCOS. What’s more, there is currently increased pressure on schools in the newly reformed Ofsted framework to place greater focus on the theme of inclusion. These changes have been brought in to ensure that an inclusive environment is being created in our educational institutions in which all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can thrive. Holding back on providing Speech and Language Therapy support can also contribute to strain on staff when it comes to fulfilling these important requirements.

Frustration for Families and Carers
As children and young people wait for the vital support they need, this can lead to immense frustration for families and carers as they watch their child fall further behind socially, emotionally and academically. Families and carers can also lose confidence in the healthcare system and services that are supposed to help them, and feel great pressure financially and emotionally to seek out alternative options.

Increased Pressure on EHCP Pathways and Tribunal
As of January 2025, the number of EHCPs are 10.8% higher than 2024 (Department for Education, 2025), and this figure continues to grow. If a child is stuck on a long waitlist, they may not have the Speech, Language and Communication Need diagnosis required for an effective EHCP, leading to a potential lack of ‘evidence of need’. 

This can lead to either refusal of an EHCP if sufficient diagnosis cannot be provided, or an incomplete EHCP which does not fulfil the child’s needs as effectively as possible. And when an EHCP is denied or incomplete, families are more likely to take this to tribunal, creating greater pressure on these pathways.

What Local Authorities and Schools Can Do
here are practical strategies that both Local Authorities and schools can adopt to reduce bottlenecks and improve outcomes.

Screen Pupils to Improve Triage & Prioritisation
Screeners can be brilliant, such as the Mable Early Years Language and Communication Screener (MELCS), as they facilitate a way of assessing a large number of pupils at one time to identify those who require further support.

Embrace Mixed Delivery Models
The key to a mixed delivery model is that it does not render one medium of Speech and Language therapy, either face-to-face or virtual, redundant. Virtual therapy offers flexibility, scalability, and immediacy, however does not have to completely replace face-to-face provision where an in-person approach is most needed and beneficial. A blended approach maximises resource use and extends reach, whilst providing a brilliant and engaging means of speech therapy with qualified therapists. 

Fund Short-Term Capacity Boosts
Ringfence funding for short-term SALT interventions in high-need schools. Some Local Authorities are successfully using this model to address backlogs and prevent escalation to EHCPs.

Partner With Approved Providers
Trusted providers like Mable Therapy can offer quality-assured, specialist provision - filling gaps without adding administrative strain. With transparent reporting and clear outcomes, they can work hand-in-hand with local authority strategies and goals.

How Mable Therapy Can Help

Mable Therapy offers a virtual therapy model designed to complement existing local provision and mitigate the impacts posed by long queues for speech therapy.

✅ No Waiting Lists
Schools and Local Authorities can onboard quickly, with appointments in less than 48 hours of referral. 

⏰ Flexible Appointments
Sessions are available all day, seven days a week, helping to work around the child and their family’s schedule.

🎓 National Network of Qualified Speech and Language Therapists
All Mable therapists are HCPC-registered, Band 5/6+ and skilled in working with a wide range of communication needs. Each of our therapists specialise in different areas, giving you  the right therapist for the child’s specific needs.

📊  ;Measurable Outcomes
Real-time progress tracking and digital session reports make it easy to monitor impact and maintain oversight! We have a proven track record with Redbridge LA, Essex County Council (ECC), HCRG Care Group, and NHS trusts.

🏫 Empowering Schools
Schools can refer directly, reducing pressure on central triage systems and enabling earlier intervention. We also handle all liaison with parents, carers, and school staff for ease. 

🔒 Safeguarding Built-In
Mable’s platform is engaging, secure and compliant - designed with robust safeguarding protocols in place. Our clinical delivery model is built on the highest standards of compliance and safeguarding:

• HCPC-registered clinicians only

• Full safer recruitment checks

• Level 2+ safeguarding and up-to-date IG training

• GDPR-compliant platform and NHS DSP Toolkit certified

• Secure document sharing (via Mable, Egress, or NHS systems)
  
  Click here to read more about our safeguarding commitments in full.
  

Conclusion: It’s Time to Rethink the Model

Speech and Language Therapy waiting lists are at an all time high, but with flexible, creative thinking and collaborative solutions, there are effective ways in which we can mitigate the disadvantages caused by lengthy waiting lists.

By combining speech and language screening, early intervention, and scalable digital support, local authorities and schools can help to reduce the limitations posed by limited access to timely support.

Whether you’re looking to address a current backlog, or future-proof your Speech and Language Therapy strategy, Mable Therapy can help. Let’s build a more effective, compliant support model for the children and families in your care.

💬  Ready to speak to a member of our team to learn more?