Speech therapy could help save NHS cash

INVESTMENT in speech and language therapy could help boost the Edinburgh economy by more than £10 million a year, a report has found.

Experts from Matrix said helping those who had communication difficulties find work could save the government and the NHS in the long-term, as well as boosting individuals' prospects.

Kim Hartley, from the Scotland office of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy, said: "The Scottish budget needs to save 500 million next year. This study proves that speech and language therapy can help meet that challenge."

The survey was timed to coincide with the organisation's Giving Voice campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the therapy to help people with a range of communication problems.