A Specialist Service For 4-7 Year Old Children
With Very Severe Speech And Language Disorders

6 Castlebar Hill
Ealing, London W5 1TD


This site is maintained by parents of present and ex-pupils of the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit.

Status of the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit

During a meeting held in January 2006, the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust Board decided in principle to close the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit for financial reasons because of an apparent shortage of children for entry in September 2006. This decision was taken despite the fact that the Nuffield Unit has been full or oversubscribed during the last five years and has been a net financial contributor to its parent hospital.

No final decision about the unit's future can be made without a public consultation process, which is running from April 1^st 2006 to June 30^th 2006. It is expected that the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust board will consider the responses to the consultation in a meeting to be held in July 2006.

Parents are mounting a campaign to oppose the closure of the unit. Click on the Campaign menu button (see left) for details of the consultation and the campaign to save the unit.

If you are a parent of a child who might attend this unit, please do not be put off by this uncertainty! The Nuffield Hearing and Speech Centre is still accepting referrals and assessing children and there is every chance that the unit will attract sufficient children or funding to remain in operation. In fact, every extra child can make a significant difference to the future of the unit! If you would like to discuss the current situation or the unit in general with other parents, please contact us via e-mail.


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