Guy’s and St Thomas’ Assistive Communication Service (GSTT ACS)

Area Covered

London boroughs of: Barking and Dagenham, Bromley Bexley, Greenwich, Havering, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Waltham Forest

Population Served

• All age ranges
• Clients with a permanent physical and/or communication disability. Clients must have a significant functional impairment which prevents them from being as independent as possible where all other standard solutions have been tried and are deemed inappropriate.

Scale

Number of referrals per year average 90

Services Provided

• Assessment
• Consultancy (telephone and face to face)
• Training (clients and staff teams)
• Loan
• Provision of some equipment (e.g. switches/mounts) See http://www.evelinalondon.nhs.uk/ACS
• Support re applications for funding for equipment
• Ongoing support (including review system for clients with rapidly progressing conditions and students in special schools).

Staffing

• Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist Band 8a x0.7 WTE + full time locum
• Clinical Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Band 8a x1 WTE + Full time locum
• Rehabilitation Engineer Band 6 x0.4 WTE
• Full time Clinical Scientist
• Administrator Band 3 x0.6 WTE
• Service Manager (Wheelchair service and Assistive Technology) Band 8a x1 WTE

Funding

NHS (hosted by Southwark PCT). Rehab engineering services are provided under contract from Kings College Hospital

Permanent or Project

Permanent

Year Founded

Circa 1995

Referral Process

Referrals should be made on the Southwark PCT Assistive Technology Team Referral Form. Referrals are accepted form health, social care and education professionals. Referrals are accepted by post, fax and email.