- A new research project that aims to improve communication between people with aphasia and their communication partners has been awarded over £3.8 million in funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Stroke Association
- Led by the University of Sheffield and City St George’s, University of London, and hosted by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Aphasia Partnership Training (APT) project will be trialled in around 30 NHS speech and language therapy services across the UK
- Aphasia is a common communication disorder that affects around 40 per cent of stroke survivors and it can make it difficult to speak, understand others, read and write
- Without adequate support, people with aphasia and their communication partners - such as family members, friends or carers - often face communication breakdowns, emotional distress and social isolation
A major new research project that aims to improve communication between people with aphasia and their communication partners, has been awarded over £3.8 million in funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Stroke Association.
The Aphasia Partnership Training (APT) project, led jointly by Professor Rebecca Palmer from the University of Sheffield and Professor Madeline Cruice from City St George’s, University of London and hosted by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, plans to co-design and evaluate a novel communication partner training (CPT) programme. Starting in autumn, the intervention will be trialled in approximately 30 NHS speech and language therapy services in the UK.
The landmark programme is one of the largest awards and trials of its kind in speech and language therapy for people with aphasia in the UK.
Supporting people post-stroke
Aphasia is a common communication disorder that affects around 40 per cent of stroke survivors, and it can make it difficult to speak, understand others, read and write. Without adequate support, people with aphasia and their communication partners - such as family members, friends or carers - often face communication breakdowns, emotional distress and social isolation.
The APT programme aims to change that by developing a new communication partner training programme and manual for NHS delivery to people with aphasia and their communication partners living in the community. By focusing on real-world conversational support, the project seeks to improve communication, reduce psychological distress and strengthen relationships.
Professor Rebecca Palmer, Professor of Communication and Stroke Rehabilitation at the University of Sheffield and Honorary Research Speech and Language Therapist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I have seen first-hand the ongoing daily difficulties of family communication when someone has aphasia after a stroke, and the impact that has on their relationships and enjoyment of everyday life together.
“We know that communication partner training can help, but currently there is no detailed guidance to speech and language therapists on how best to provide such training. The funding from the NIHR and the Stroke Association will ensure that we can design training content with people with aphasia and their families and develop guidance to speech and language therapists of what best addresses their needs.
“This is the first time communication partner training has been evaluated on a sufficiently large scale for patients, families and speech and language therapists to have confidence in the extent to which this can help.”
The APT programme builds on a two-year development grant awarded in 2021 and will run until early 2031. It is structured around three main work packages:
- Work Package 1 focuses on understanding the current UK implementation context for communication partner training, surveying existing NHS practice. This work package will also understand and evaluate how the intervention is delivered in the NHS speech and language therapy services, and runs in parallel with the following work packages.
- Work Package 2 centres on co-designing the communication partner training programme and a learning package for NHS speech and language therapists, ensuring it is tailored to the needs of diverse users.
- Work Package 3 involves a randomised controlled trial in ~30 UK NHS services with 336 pairs (dyads) of people with aphasia and their communication partners.
The trial’s design also allows for adaptive development, that is, for refinements to be made to the intervention and research processes. Final data will be analysed in 2030, with a comprehensive report expected in early 2031.
Inclusive interventions
A crucial aim of the project is to ensure the intervention is inclusive, accessible and representative. The research team is committed to addressing the under-representation of certain communities, including people from ethnic minority backgrounds and non-English speakers, within existing aphasia services.
The project also includes strong public and patient involvement (PPI) throughout, ensuring that those with lived experience of aphasia play a central role in the design and delivery of the APT project. Dissemination will include academic outputs, practical resources for healthcare providers, and accessible information for stroke survivors with aphasia and their families.
Kate Sudworth, Project PPI Lead and carer for her husband with aphasia, said: “Communication is an essential part of life. For stroke survivors and their partners, it is very frustrating when we cannot understand each other. This can lead to the feeling of isolation and not wanting to socialise outside the home. When my husband was discharged from hospital, we had no guidance on aphasia and the profound implications it would have on our lives.
“We feel that APT would greatly enhance our quality of life through better communication skills. This should be offered by NHS Speech and Language Therapists as standard to all stroke survivors and their partners. The aftermath of a stroke is traumatic and anything which helps day to day life will be so beneficial.”
Professor Madeline Cruice, Professor of Aphasia Rehabilitation and Recovery at City St George’s, University of London, said: “We are thrilled to secure this funding; it will transform aphasia rehabilitation provision for families with aphasia across the UK. We are grateful to everyone who has worked with us – initially in the programme development grant – and towards the full programme grant.
“It was a huge undertaking, and we’ve felt supported all the way. We’ve felt the passion and commitment from speech and language therapists and managers who have got behind this research; we’ve felt the pain and the huge need from people with lived experience as they have shared their stories with us and they so clearly want much more for their communication and their lives. Collectively, we are really excited about the potential for change and good here on the APT.”
Dr Louise Flanagan, Head of Research at the Stroke Association, said: “Every day in the UK, 240 people wake up to the catastrophic impact of a stroke, which can leave survivors unable to move, see, or even swallow. A huge number of stroke survivors have aphasia, a significant speech and language disability which can have a huge impact on almost every aspect of life after stroke.
“Speech and language therapy is crucial for stroke survivors with communication or swallowing difficulties. Speech and language therapists therefore need high quality training and resources to ensure the support they provide is the best it can be.
“The Stroke Association is pleased to have part funded this large-scale and first of its kind project. We look forward to seeing the results as they unfold and how this can support stroke survivors across the UK.”
Amit Kulkarni, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists’ Head of Research and Outcomes, said: “We’re very pleased to see this important research commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and led by an experienced speech and language therapy research team. By developing responsive, inclusive, and effective communication partner training, this research will make a real difference to the lives of people living with aphasia post-stroke.”
