Penny Gravill

specialist Speech & language therapist (NEURO & FACIAL PALSY)

Since August 1996, Penny has been the lead SLT in Neurosurgery at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, in a jobshare which combines the neurosciences medical and surgical specialities. It was at this time that Penny’s interest in facial palsy began as she was aware that there was very limited expertise in either physio or SLT. The patients were predominantly post acoustic neuroma surgery and suffered facial nerve damage as a result of their surgery. Penny worked with the patients as best she could and was acutely aware of her shortcomings.

Penny pursued this interest and applied for money from a ward fund to train with Diana Farragher at the Lindens Clinic in Manchester in 2005. Having completed a basic course, she later went on to do a more advanced course to learn how to use surface electromyography and to manage more complex cases including post surgical reanimation cases. The caseload of facial palsy patients grew and she was accepting  referrals from other medical specialities within the hospital as well as GP referrals for community patients. The NHS service has grown to support a further part-time SLT and a full facial palsy service for all patients of any aetiology for both in-patients and out-patients continues to be busy. All SLT’s with the acute sector are supported to develop a working knowledge in the assessment and early management of facial palsy. 

In 2009, in Aberdeen with a consultant head and neck surgeon, the Facial Palsy Clinic was set up, where patients needing more than conventional facial therapy could be seen; typically, this is  for botox to help manage synkinesis and for those you might benefit from static or dynamic surgical procedures or for whom other medical investigations might be beneficial. This continues to run on a monthly basis with a consultant plastic surgeon. 

In 2006, the Lindens Clinic gave Penny the opportunity to develop a Scottish satellite centre based in Aberdeen and also to help run clinics in London. She continues to run the clinics four times a year, with locations in north and south London, offering a private facial palsy service to patients in the London area. Private practice was expanded further in 2014, with the inception of The Specialist Speech Therapy Practice Ltd providing a service of speech, language and voice therapy to private patients in the NE of Scotland. More recently Penny has expanded to open a facial palsy service in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Penny remains keen and committed to be involved in the training and support of other SLT’s wanting to develop their skills in facial palsy and,  as the RCSLT advisor on this condition, offer advice and support either remotely or by joint sessions to SLT’s and their patients.

Working for Ulster University between 2006 - 2014 as a clinical supervisor and examiner for their final year SLT students, was an opportunity to work within the education system and gain valuable experience in facilitating and supporting learning as well as trying to increase awareness of facial palsy to the next generation of SLTs.

Penny has undergone medico-legal training to allow the provision of a service to solicitors in the assessment and expert report writing for medico-legal cases and the training to appear as an expert witness if required.