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Speech Pathology

Hospital-based Speech Pathology

Hospital-based Speech pathology provides inpatient and outpatient services to adults (18+ years) as well as babies or children with feeding difficulties while they are in hospital.

Adult patients are seen for assessment, treatment, and/or management for a range of swallowing and communication disorders, including:

  • Swallowing difficulties
    • Difficulties managing secretions, spillage of food/fluids from the mouth, problems chewing food, difficulty controlling and manipulating food or fluid, food pocketing in the mouth.
    • Coughing or choking during eating or drinking, excessive throat clearing, gurgly voice, slow swallow response, absent swallow reflex, uncoordinated swallow, food getting stuck in the throat.
    • Increased duration of meals, unexplained weight loss, dehydration, frequent chest infections.
  • Communication difficulties
    • Language: difficulty understanding or using spoken and or written words (e.g. aphasia).
    • Speech: use of speech sounds resulting in reduced clarity and intelligibility.
    • Voice: disorders of vocal cord function and use.
    • Fluency: stuttering.

Locations and referrals

Referrals
  • You can refer yourself, or be referred by a GP or other agency.
  • Waiting times and session limits apply for all services. You will be informed at referral or the estimated wait time for service.
Contact
Referrals
  • This is an outreach service from Port Macquarie Base Hospital and accepts inpatient referrals only.
Contact
  • Kempsey District Hospital, Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Wauchope District Memorial Hospital
    Phone 0409 668 856

Child and Family Speech Pathology

Child and Family Speech Pathology provides a free clinic-based service to infants and children aged 0 to 18.

The service provides assessment, diagnosis and management/treatment of clients with communication and feeding difficulties, including:

  • early/infant feeding difficulties
  • preverbal & early language development (0 – 24 months)
  • language delay/disorder
  • articulation (ability to speak clearly) difficulties
  • stuttering
  • social language
  • pre-reading skills.

Children with difficulties across multiple developmental areas, or a diagnosed disability, are eligible for NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) Services and can access this by phoning Northcott Disability Services on 1800 818 286.

Locations and referrals

Referrals
  • You do not need a doctor’s referral to access the service and can refer yourself.
  • Waiting times and session limits apply for all services. You will be informed at referral or the estimated wait time for service.
Contact

There are clinics at Macksville and Coffs Harbour Hospitals. Outreach clinics may be offered at Nambucca Health One, Bowraville Health One, Bellingen Hospital and Woolgoolga Community Health Centre.

Referrals
  • You do not need a doctor’s referral to access the service and can refer yourself.
  • Waiting times and session limits apply for all services. You will be informed at referral or the estimated wait time for service.
Contacts

There are clinics at Port Macquarie, Kempsey and Wauchope Community Health Centres. Outreach clinics may be offered at South West Rocks and Camden Haven Health One.

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