Health Education England Launch Dysphagia Learning Platform

Health Education England e-Learning for Healthcare (HEE e-LfH) has worked in partnership with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and industry experts to develop the Dysphagia Guide e-learning resource for those working with people living with dysphagia.

Elaros is proud to have collaborated with colleagues and experts from Sheffield Teaching Hospital to roll out the platform nationwide. Support was given by Abbeyfield Research Foundation and Innovate UK on the initial project that has now been developed by Health Education England.

Dysphagia, is a condition characterised by difficulties in chewing and swallowing food and drinks. It can have serious implications for a person’s health and wellbeing such as increased likelihood of chest infections, malnutrition, dehydration, choking incidents and hospitalisations. 

The Dysphagia guide e-learning resource can be used to support people working in care to gain the relevant level of competency for their role as outlined in the Eating, Drinking and Swallowing Competency Framework. It was co-developed with care home staff and is designed to be relevant to the wider healthcare workforce, informal carers and people with dysphagia themselves.

This resource is also a useful guide for managers in policy and workforce development.

The Dysphagia Guide e-learning resource, which has been adapted by HEE e-LfH, is made up of five sessions that cover the following topics: 

• Essentials
• Food
• Quality and Safety
• Training and Resources
• Workforce

For more information about the e-learning resource, including access details, please visit: https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/dysphagia/