An analysis by the specialist healthcare recruiter found that boosting the numbers of professionals in these roles could greatly benefit the UK economy. Research shows that speech and language therapists deliver a net benefit of £765m, through bringing people back into work and helping children into school.
Andrew Anastasiou, managing director of Medicare First, commented. “We’ve seen massive cuts in this arena in recent years and this trend simply has to be reversed. These professionals provide an incredibly valuable service and anyone who’s seen ‘The King’s Speech’ will recognise what a difference they can make to a person’s ability to communicate.”
“As the research shows, speech and language therapists also create huge benefits for the economy. It’s known that around 70% of young offenders have a significant communication disorder that has gone untreated and this has ultimately cost £26bn in lack of job opportunities and risks of criminal behaviour and drug or mental health issue. In addition, therapists not only help youngsters but also people recovering from illnesses such as strokes or dementia. These treatments provide long lasting benefits to a wide range of people and there has to be increased investment in this field in the future. If that fails to happen and we see more cuts in such a vital area of the health service it could potentially have significant long term consequences.”
Kaynak : 