What we offer
It can be a stressful time coming into hospital when you are unable to speak the language or have a hearing impairment. We offer a number of interpretation and communication tools to make your appointment or visit run smoothly.
For patients where English is not their first language
We have a number of options for patients whose first language is not English but for the vast majority of instances, we use a telephone service called ‘Language Line’ which has audio interpretation for more than 200 languages.
This service also gives us access to 24/7 video interpretation. We have two ‘interpreter on wheels’ devices which offer British Sign Language and 39 top spoken languages.
Face to face interpreting services are only used by exception and need to be agreed by PALS at the point of booking. For example, this option may be more appropriate for scanning appointments or where a patient needs to be asked to keep still.
For patients with hearing impairments
British Sign Language (BSL): This will be the first method of choice for maximising effective communication for patients who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. However, other options, such as live transcribing, can be considered if the patient has another preference through the PALS team.
How to access services
So we can arrange the interpretation/translation support you need, please let us know before you appointment if you have additional needs. You can do this by contacting our Patient Advice and Liaison team
