Collaborative Management of Vocal Cord Paralysis

Join us for a fascinating day covering all aspects of managing unilateral vocal cord paralysis. From assessment and diagnosis to therapeutic and surgical management, including the latest evidence for best practice. Content of the day will include:

• What we are looking for during endoscopic evaluation
• SLT management of voice, breathing & swallow
• ENT approaches including injection medialisation & thyroplasty
• Decision making & combined management
• Real life case studies

The morning session will be largely speech therapy focused with Lydia and Tor presenting on the SLT management of dysphonia related to vocal cord paralysis; also including the management of dysphagia and breathlessness.

The morning session will include meeting and hearing from real life patients who have experienced vocal cord paralysis and their own SLT and ENT treatments.

The afternoon session will be focused on ENT perspcectives and you will hear from world renowned laryngologist Mr Declan Costello, who leads the way with his management of complex vocal cord paralysis. Understand what interventions and surgical techniques ENT are using and the timings of these treatments depending on diagnosis, etiology and impact and best practice collaboration between speech therapy and ENT.

We invite speech therapist at any stage of their career working with voice patients, ENT doctors working in laryngology and interested in learning more about voice therapy and other voice practitioners who would like to learn more about this subject.

We are selling 'afternoon only' tickets to those who would like to foucs on the ENT perscpetives of managing vocal cord paralysis. The afternoon session will run from 2pm - 4.30pm. The afternoon agenda will include some joint management case examples and discussions.

Speakers:

Declan Costello:

Mr Declan Costello is a highly experienced consultant laryngologist with extensive expertise in treating all aspects of voice disorders and hoarseness – from vocal cord nodules and cysts to polyps, papilloma, vocal cord paralysis and spasmodic dysphonia. He is also one of the leading exponents of local anaesthetic laryngeal procedures, which can be particularly beneficial for patients with vocal fold paralysis.

He was appointed as a consultant ENT surgeon (specialising in voice disorders) at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham in August 2010. In December 2018 his NHS practice moved to Wexham Park Hospital in Berkshire.

Mr Costello runs weekly private clinics in London and Maidenhead and weekly NHS voice clinics in Slough and Ascot.

Amongst his non-clinical duties, he is the editor of ENT & Audiology News magazine. He continues to sing regularly with a number of different groups. In April 2023, he was presented with the Santley Award by the Musicians' Company – this was awarded for services to singing and research into singing.

Lydia Hart:

Lydia Hart is a specialist speech and language therapist working in the fields of voice and upper airway. She is Clinical Lead for Voice Care Centre and worked for 8 years at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust in the voice clinic with Declan Costello. Lydia is trained in a number of additional therapies, which allows her to hold a holistic space for clients to explore and improve their symptoms. She is a passionate teacher and advocate for mind-body approaches for all aspects of wellbeing. She has co-authored the book 'Help! I've got a Voice Problem' with Stephen King, which is a landmark text in the world of vocal health.


Tor Spence:

Tor qualified as a speech therapist in 2007 from Newcastle University. She has worked in voice services in the NHS ever since and until July 2022 was employed as Clinical Lead Speech Therapist in the ENT & Upper Airway Services in Oxford. She worked in joint voice clinics, Botox and medialisation clinics over many years. She led a 6 month pilot speech therapy led 2-week wait hoarse voice clinic in 2022. She now works independently and is focused on expanding VoiceFit speech therapy services full time. She is passionate about helping people overcome complex voice disorders that affect health and well-being. She has extensive experience in voice clinics and working alongside ENT services. She creates online teaching content and runs annual lecture series and training courses for speech therapists who want to extend their voice therapy skills.

Lydia and Tor founded Foundations in Voice Therapy in 2023 to provide voice therapy skills training to speech therapists. They are passionate about teaching and sharing voice knowledge and skills.

More about the venue:

The Thames Lido is 5-10 minute walk from Reading station.

If you are driving, the Lido has its own car park but there is limited space. Unfortunately it is not a free car park, the full day cost is £11 (half day £6) which is paid at the machines in the building. Kings Meadow is a paid car park next door as well for the same cost. Reading station also has parking which is a 5-10 minute walk away.

Food and drinks are included in your booking - tea, coffee and water throughout the day, and a tapas lunch in the Lido restaurant. If you have any dietary requirements please let us know by emailing: foundationsinvoicetherapy@gmail.com

You may have already had a look at our beautiful venue, and you might want to have a swim in the stunning outdoor pool! Feel free to make use of the facilities at the end of the day, but booking in advance is advisable as they tend to be fully booked. You can book a guest swim and use the pool and facilities for 2 hours, and they also have swim and food or treatment packages. All can be booked on their website: https://www.thameslido.com/