Dharinee Hansjee

Dharinee Hansjee BSc Hons, MSc, FRCSLT, SFHEA

Academic Portfolio Lead, Programme Lead and Senior Lecturer in Speech and Language Therapy

Dharinee Hansjee has been practising as a Speech and Language Therapist for well over 20 years. Dharinee developed her expertise in dysphagia practice by working in a number of acute and community settings in Southwest England as well as London and the Southeast. She completed an MSc in Advanced Practice (Leadership) at Kings College London. Dharinee was an honorary and guest lecturer at City, University of London whilst maintaining clinical practice as the Head of Speech & Language Therapy at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich for many years. She is now senior lecturer & programme lead for the BSc Speech & Language therapy course and academic portfolio lead for CPD. Dharinee is currently completing her doctoral thesis via a PhD by Published Works.

Dharinee has been appointed as a general Trustee of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists (RCSLT). She is also one of the RCSLT’s national advisors for dysphagia and represents the organisation on several working groups. She has collaborated with the Patients Association alongside a multidisciplinary panel to develop a charter to improve medicines management for older people with dysphagia in care homes. The charter has been endorsed by NICE. She is an expert member on the guidance and resources sub-committee working with NHS Improvement and RCSLT on improving outcomes for people with dysphagia.

Dharinee represented RCSLT (England) by contributing to the British Medical Associations guidance on Clinically Assisted Nutrition and Hydration. She was successfully selected, by the AHP Federation to complete the AHP Future Leader Programme of training.

Health and social care

Responsibilities within the university
  • Programme Lead for the BSc SLT programme, designing, co-ordinating and executing improvements on the programme delivery
  • Senior Lecturer on the BSc SLT course with delivery of dysphagia teaching across the programme and amongst multi-professional team members within the university
  • Module lead for Holistic Partnership Working and Emergent Practitioner Skills.

Awards

Awarded a fellowship by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists for "Outstanding Contribution to the Profession"

2023
Highest scoring abstract in the 'Showcase and Share' category for an oral presentation at the RCSLT conference.

2022
ILD Impact Award: Experienced Practitioner.

2022
Awarded Senior Fellowship of the Higher education Academy.

2022
Commendation for outstanding exceptional work on the Curriculum Design module, PGCERT HE.

2021
Awarded an RCSLT Fellowship.

2017
Health Service Journal Patient Safety Award for Care of Older People, Safer Approach to Ethical Feeding Decisions.

Recognition

National Advisor for Dysphagia (Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists)

Leadership

2022 - Appointed as general trustee of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists.
2022 - Invited to join the Executive Editorial Board for the international Journal of Language Communication Disorders.

Invited Presentations and Webinars

2023

  • Invited Oral Presentation at the British Association for Parental Enteral Nutrition's Annual Conference.

2022

  • Invited by the PCPA to contribute to a webinar on Dysphagia: Whose role is it anyway?

2021

  • Invited by the Primary Care Pharmacy Association (PCPA) to host a webinar on dysphagia and Medicines administration
  • Invited by Nutricia (Dysphagia Academy) to present the new guidance on Eating and Drinking with Acknowledged Risks.

2018

  • Oral presentation at the Adults with Learning Disability Clinical Excellence Network
  • Organised and hosted a national study day on the Implementation of a Risk Feeding Protocol (100 delegates)
  • Poster presentation on the Risk Feeding Model of Care: Impact on Length of Stay and Admissions (Baltimore, USA).

2017

  • Chaired a session at the Kings Fund Harnessing the value of AHPs
  • Invited oral presentation on Sharing Best Practice – CQC standards on nutrition & hydration
  • Invited to host a webinar for the Dementia Action Alliance and the RCSLT on the Role of Speech & Language Therapists in the assessment of Mental Capacity.

2016

  • International poster presentation at the European Society for Swallowing Disorders, Milan (Oct)
  • Invited oral presentation at the Adults with Learning Disability Clinical Excellence Network
  • Invited oral presentation at the Palliative Care End of Life Clinical Excellence Network
  • Organised and hosted a national study day on Ethical feeding Decisions (120 delegates).

2015

  • Invited oral presentation at the Scottish Dysphagia clinical excellence network (Belfast)
  • Invited oral presentation at the Adult Acquire Dysphagia clinical excellence network (London).

2014

  • International oral presentation at the South African Speech Language Hearing Association 50th congress, Cape town (Oct).
Consultancy

2021 - Invited by the Scottish Clinical excellence Network to design and deliver a webinar on Cultural competency in Dysphagia Practice.
2021 - Invited by the Adults with Acquired Dysphagia CEN to present the RCSLT National Guidance on Eating and Drinking with Acknowledged Risks.
2021 - Invited by the Irish Clinical Excellence Network to present the RCSLT National Guidance on Eating and Drinking with Acknowledged Risks.
2020 - Invited by the RCSLT to contribute to a webinar on Practical Ethical Decisions for Adults with COVID -19.
2017 - Invited by the Dementia Action Alliance and the RCSLT to host co-host a webinar on the role of the Speech and Language Therapist in the Assessment of Mental Capacity.

Research / Scholarly interests

Dharinee’s special interest and expertise lies in dysphagia, and she has published extensively in this area of care. She has delivered national and international presentations on the development of guidance on eating and drinking with acknowledged risks and is lead author for the multi professional guidance in this area. She is an active member on the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists anti-racism EDI subgroup for higher education institutes and has delivered national presentations on cultural competency in dysphagia practice.

Key funded projects

Co-applicant on project awarded by NIHR, commenced May 2021.
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Recent publications

Article

Yoshimatsu, Yuki , Hansjee, Dharinee, Smithard, David, Enderby, Pamela (2024), Referral patterns to speech and language therapy in the UK before, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic: dysphagia compared with communication disorders. Karger Publishers. In: , , , . Karger Publishers, Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica . pp. 1-9 ISSN: 1021-7762 (Print), 1421-9972 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1159/000539436) NB Item availability restricted.

Hansjee, Dharinee , Yoshimatsu, Yuki, Smithard, David, Markowski, Marianne , Essex, Ryan (2024), Decisions with eating and drinking in older adults admitted with pneumonia and referred for swallowing difficulties. Springer. In: , , , . Springer, European Geriatric Medicine ISSN: 1878-7649 (Print), 1878-7657 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-024-00983-2).

Pillay, Mershen , Kathard, Harsha, Hansjee, Dharinee, Smith, Christina , Spencer, Sarah , Suphi, Aydan , Tempest, Ali , Thiel, Lindsey (2023), Decoloniality and healthcare higher education: critical conversations. Wiley. In: , , , . Wiley, International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders . pp. 1-10 ISSN: 1368-2822 (Print), 1460-6984 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12982).

Smithard, David G , Swaine, Ian, Ayis, Salma, Gambaruto, Alberto , Stone-Ghariani, Aoife , Hansjee, Dharinee , Kulnik, Stefan T , Kyberd, Peter J , Lloyd-Dehler, Elizabeth , Oliff, William (2022), Chin tuck against resistance exercise with feedback to improve swallowing, eating and drinking in frail older people admitted to hospital with pneumonia: protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled study. BMC - Springer Nature. In: , , , . BMC - Springer Nature, Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 8: 105 2055-5784 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-022-01060-w).

Hansjee, Dharinee , Smithard, David, Wright, David, Hansjee, Dharinee (2022), Ensuring medicines administration safety in older adults with dysphagia. Emap Inform. In: , , , . Emap Inform, Nursing Times, 118 (1) . pp. 27-31 ISSN: 0954-7762 (Print), 0954-7762 (Online) (doi: https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-archive/medicine-management/ensuring-medicine-administration-safety-in-older-adults-with-dysphagia-06-12-2021/) NB Item availability restricted.

Smithard, David , Hansjee, Dharinee, Henry, Darrien, Mitchell, Laura , Sabaharwal, Arjun , Salkeld, Jo , Yeung, Eirene , Younus, Osman , Swaine, Ian (2020), Inter-relationships between frailty, sarcopenia, undernutrition and dysphagia in older people who are admitted to acute frailty and medical wards: is there an older adult quartet?. MDPI. In: , , , . MDPI, Geriatrics, 5: 41 (3) ISSN: 2308-3417 (Print), 2308-3417 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics5030041).

Tsang, Kawai , Lau, Esther, Shazra, Mariyam, Eyres, Ruth , Hansjee, Dharinee , Smithard, David (2020), A new simple screening tool—4QT: can it identify those with swallowing problems? A pilot study. MDPI -PMC. In: , , , . MDPI -PMC, Geriatrics, 5: 11 (1) ISSN: 2308-3417 (Print), 2308-3417 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics5010011).

Hansjee, Dharinee and , (2019), Five fundamental Ms: cutting aspiration risk in dementia and dysphagia patients. Emap Inform. In: , , , . Emap Inform, Nursing Times, 115 (4) . pp. 38-41 ISSN: 0954-7762 (Print), 0954-7762 (Online) (doi: https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-archive/nutrition/5-fundamental-ms-cutting-aspiration-risk-in-dementia-and-dysphagia-patients-25-03-2019/).

Hansjee, Dharinee and , Sampson, Helen (2019), Risk assessment: a consultation on the term 'risk feeding'. Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT). In: , , , . Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), RCSLT Bulletin, 2019 (Jan) . pp. 16-17 ISSN: 1466-173X (Print), (doi: ).

Morris, Jacqueline , Hollwey, Frances, Hansjee, Dharinee, Power, Rachel , Griffith, Richard , Longmore, Timothy , Smithard, David , Dann-Reed, Eleanor , Wright, David (2018), Pilot of a charter to improve management of medicines and oral care for residents with dysphagia in care homes. MDPI - PMC. In: , , , . MDPI - PMC, Geriatrics, 3: 78 (4) ISSN: 2308-3417 (Print), 2308-3417 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics3040078).

Hansjee, Dharinee and , (2018), An acute model of care to guide eating and drinking decisions in the frail elderly with dementia and dysphagia. MDPI - PMC. In: , , , . MDPI - PMC, Geriatrics, 3: 65 (4) ISSN: 2308-3417 (Print), 2308-3417 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics3040065).

Book section

Hansjee, Dharinee and , (2022), Addressing choices and preferences of individuals with dementia and swallowing difficulties. Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI). In: , , In: Serge Gauthier, Claire Webster, Stijn Servaes, José A. Morais, Pedro Rosa-Neto (eds.), World Alzheimer Report 2022 Life after diagnosis: Navigating treatment, care and support. Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), London and Illinois; McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada World Alzheimer Report 2022 (1st) . pp. 233-234 (doi: https://www.alzint.org/resource/world-alzheimer-report-2022/) NB Item availability restricted.

Conference proceedings

Hansjee, Dharinee and , Smithard, David (2019), The risk feeding model of care: impact on length of stay readmissions. Springer. In: , , , "Dysphagia Research Society 26th Anniversary Annual Meeting March 15–17, 2018 Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland". Springer, Cham, Switzerland Dysphagia, 34 (1st) . pp. 416-474 ISSN: 0179-051X (Print), 1432-0460 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-019-10019-8).

Hansjee, Dharinee and , (2017), Poster presentation: a safer approach to risk feeding, implementation. Springer. In: , , , "6th ESSD Congress Milan 2016 Abstract Book". Springer, Cham, Switzerland Dysphagia, 32 (1st) . pp. 126-207 ISSN: 0179-051X (Print), 1432-0460 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-016-9766-y).

Video

Markowski, Marianne , Rivoal, Dominique, Dibley, Lesley, Patchay, Sandhiran , Ojo, Omorogieva , Hansjee, Dharinee , Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui (2023), Living well with chronic illness: a 10-minute summary video of the Knowledge Exchange event. Centre for Chronic Illness and Ageing at the University of Greenwich. In: , , , . Centre for Chronic Illness and Ageing at the University of Greenwich, (1st) (doi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCqw8cqsF74).

Working paper

Hansjee, Dharinee , Burch, Nicola, Campbell, Louise, Crawford, Hannah , Crowder, Ruth , Garrett, Dawn , Harp, Katie , Howells, Gareth , Morris, Jackie , Pascoe, Kath (2021), Eating and drinking With acknowledged risks: multidisciplinary team guidance for the shared decision-making process (adults). Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists. In: , , , . Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists, London, UK (doi: https://www.rcslt.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/EDAR-multidisciplinary-guidance-2021.pdf).

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