Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist | Barts Health NHS Trust

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) to join our dynamic SLT team based at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in the City of London, situated in beautiful surroundings close to St. Paul’s Cathedral. St. Bartholomew’s Hospital is a leading UK tertiary cancer centre combining compassionate care with world class expertise.

This exciting opportunity is part of the Barts Cancer Centre, which is a national centre of excellence for myeloma and a Tessa Jowell accredited centre of excellence for neuro-oncology. You will be responsible for leading and developing the SLT service for cancer patients, excluding those with head and neck cancer, and leading initiatives that enhance the provision for those with complex communication and swallowing difficulties across the cancer care pathway, including outpatient clinics. You will also collaborate with SLT colleagues at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital who support the critical care units and cardiothoracic pathways in the world-leading Barts Heart Centre and the respiratory care pathway. The therapies department and division is committed to quality improvement, research and development and providing continuous professional development opportunities for its staff.

For more information, please contact Frah Abdullahi, Clinical Lead SLT, on f.abdullahi@nhs.net.

The position includes specialist assessment and treatment of adults with complex acquired communication and swallowing difficulties, including managing tracheostomies and conducting instrumental swallow assessments such as videofluoroscopy or Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), across a wide range of cancer diagnoses. This includes both solid tumour cancers and haematological cancers, but not head and neck cancers.

Additionally, the post holder will lead and support the delivery of training for SLT colleagues and multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), focusing on evidence-based practices and the importance of SLT in cancer care. They will monitor and maintain high standards within the cancer care pathway, implement policy changes when needed, and contribute to the development and expansion of services alongside Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetics, and other SLT colleagues across the Trust at the Royal London Hospital (RLH), Whipps Cross Hospital (WXH) and Newham Hospital (NUH) as well as the community teams in Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

The post holder will work as part of the multi-disciplinary team based at SBH delivering the therapy services to the Barts Cancer Centre (BCC).

The role will include

• Leading and developing the SLT service provision to cancer patients at SBH. This role does not include the care of patients with head and neck cancer.
• Supporting the SBH SLT team with service provision to the Barts Heart Centre (BHC) and respiratory services.
• Provide specialist assessment and treatment to adults in cancer care with complex acquired communication and swallowing difficulties, including tracheostomy management and instrumental swallow assessments via videofluoroscopy or Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES).
• Leading and supporting the training of SLT colleagues and the wider multidisciplinary team on the role and importance of speech and language therapy in cancer care using evidence-based practice and relevant policy.
• Monitoring the standards of practice and implementing relevant policy changes within the cancer care pathway.

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

**Visa Sponsorship Information**

Recent changes to UK immigration policy on the Health and Care Visa and Skilled Worker Visa could mean that this role is not eligible for sponsorship or that you may not meet the eligibility criteria.

Sponsorship can only be offered if this post and any individual offered employment meet all the Home Office’s requirements under the UK Skilled Worker visa scheme.

If you are applying from outside the UK or will require sponsorship, please mention this clearly in your application.

To be eligible for sponsorship, the following conditions must be met

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Eligible role

The position must be on the UK Skilled Worker visa list. You can check your eligibility here: -

Skilled Worker visa

Overview - GOV.UK.

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Salary threshold

The role must meet the minimum salary set by the Home Office. Please note that for roles employed under Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions, the High-Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) is not included when calculating the basic salary for the purposes of sponsorship.

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Skill level

The role must meet the minimum skill requirement of RQF Level 6 or above (graduate level).

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English language

Applicants must demonstrate English proficiency at CEFR level B2 or higher.

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Other criteria

Applicants must meet all other criteria as set out by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)

This advert closes on Thursday 7 May 2026