Why I left the NHS

On Tuesday 27th January 2026 - I left the NHS

Before I go any further, I want to be clear: this is not an NHS-bashing post. The NHS has been an extraordinary place to grow as a clinician. It supported me from being a newly qualified Speech and Language Therapist to becoming an experienced specialist. The structures, supervision, and peer support within the NHS are second to none, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunities it gave me.

However, the NHS I joined in 2009 has changed significantly. Ongoing financial pressures mean that services have had to be reshaped again and again. Frontline staff feel this acutely, and professions that aren’t considered “life-saving” have often had their scope reduced. Therapists are expected to do more, with less time, and for fewer children.

In my specialist area in particular, funding constraints increasingly meant that only the sickest and most medically complex children could be seen - and even then, it was often impossible to give them the amount of time they truly needed. This doesn’t mean that other children don’t need support. There are thousands who do. I knew I had skills and experience that could help them, but I was limited by what the system could fund.

As Speech and Language Therapists, we know that preventative support is far more effective than reactive support. Early input can stop small difficulties from becoming much bigger ones. Yet, over time, I found myself working in a reactive system - meeting children once challenges had already escalated. It was demoralising to know that if I had been able to see a child a year or two earlier, their journey might have looked very different.

Eventually, I realised I could no longer practise in a way that aligned with my values - or with how I believe children and families deserve to be supported.

I had been working privately alongside my NHS role since 2024, and by 2026 I felt confident enough to step away fully and commit to independent practice. It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, but it was a thoughtful and intentional one.

This chapter is new, and the learning curve has certainly been steep - but it’s also been energising. What I’m enjoying most is being able to see children at exactly the point they need support, not months or years later. Parents know this too. When something doesn’t feel right, they don’t want to “wait and see” - they want clarity, guidance, and a plan.

Being able to offer timely, responsive, and effective support has reminded me why I became a Speech and Language Therapist in the first place.

Leaving the NHS isn’t easy - but it’s the right decision for the children and families I want to serve.