Gobsmacked

The translator doesn’t have to be there it’s often done by phone and our local hospital has staff from 53 different countries a big notice in reception tell us the hospital family is from all over the globe

Sorry Casdon, that was a typo. My fingers are getting fatter!

Casdon

Oldnproud

My Russian DIL worked in the NHS for several years (admin). I'm pretty sure she was never called on to translate though.

The information is gathered when staff are recruited, and they are asked if they are willing to go on the register. In my experience admin staff wouldn’t generally be called on because they don’t have the clinical understanding or knowledge of medical terminology, it’s doctors, nurses and professions allied to medicine who are used. She may have been asked in an emergency situation I think, but until the war started and Ukrainians came here there wasn’t a lot of call for Russian speakers. One language I can remember us having issues with was Japanese, as there are very few Japanese speaking staff working in the NHS either.

That is interesting, Caston.

Oldnproud

My Russian DIL worked in the NHS for several years (admin). I'm pretty sure she was never called on to translate though.

The information is gathered when staff are recruited, and they are asked if they are willing to go on the register. In my experience admin staff wouldn’t generally be called on because they don’t have the clinical understanding or knowledge of medical terminology, it’s doctors, nurses and professions allied to medicine who are used. She may have been asked in an emergency situation I think, but until the war started and Ukrainians came here there wasn’t a lot of call for Russian speakers. One language I can remember us having issues with was Japanese, as there are very few Japanese speaking staff working in the NHS either.

My Russian DIL worked in the NHS for several years (admin). I'm pretty sure she was never called on to translate though.

Here is a link to the Ukrainian story (posted at 09.01 this morning but possibly missed by some?

www.itv.com/news/wales/2024-03-15/i-had-17-calls-in-one-hour-it-was-scary-the-patients-without-a-voice

this should be internation
Best Practices for Implementing Translation Services in Hospitals


Implementing translation services in hospitals requires careful planning and execution to ensure that non-English-speaking patients receive the best possible care. Here are some best practices to consider:

1. Assess Language Needs: Start by assessing the language needs of your patient population. Determine which languages are most commonly spoken among your patients and prioritize those for translation services.

2. Train Staff: It’s crucial to provide training to hospital staff on how to effectively communicate with non-English speaking patients through interpreters or translated materials. This will help create a more inclusive and empathetic healthcare environment.

3. Utilize Technology: Explore technology solutions, such as remote video interpretation services or mobile apps, that can enhance communication between healthcare providers and non-English speaking patients, especially in urgent situations when an interpreter may not be available onsite.

Remember, implementing translation services is an ongoing process that requires continuous evaluation and improvement. By following these best practices, hospitals can bridge language barriers and provide quality care for all patients, regardless of their native language.

The thing is, this lady was in a distressed state, the medical language used may have been difficult for her daughter to understand and properly translate. Let’s face it, those of us who may be able to “get by” in a language other than English or even be relatively proficient in it, would struggle to understand complex medical terms in that language. ( To be honest, some medical terms in English, I, as a native English speaker, struggle to understand).
I find the underlying thought behind the original post somewhat unpleasant - ie, the lady is receiving free medical NHS care and should be grateful for that, not “moan” that words weren’t translated to her. Travel a mile in another’s shoes, then criticise. The poor lady was probably frightened, worried and probably wished she could be in her own country - if only it was safe to be so …

👍🏻

Calling on a translation agency. Hospitals have staff speaking many different languages, thankfully. However, most wouldn’t have many if any staff who speak Russian.

MadeInYorkshire

I'm more 'gobsmacked' by this ... add them up!

metro.co.uk/2024/03/05/yorkshire-hospital-cuts-off-six-peoples-limbs-mistake-20403344/#:~:text=A%20hospital%20has%20admitted%20to%20cutting%20six%20people%E2%80%99s,number%20of%20any%20NHS%20trust%20across%20the%20UK

I made approximately 106! One of my local hospitals '15 or fewer' which obviously means 15.

Just *HOW can it happen more than once without serious reviews happening??

Imagine waking up in recovery thinking your right arm or leg was amputated, to find the good one gone and the bad one needing to come off as well?

There are generally maybe 8-10 people in theatre too so how can none of them notice? It is usually marked with a sharpie pre-op and before the surgeon begins the area is swabbed with iodine before being sheeted up, so it isn't just the surgeons to blame either - unreal, and quite terrifying.

OMG!!
That’s horrendous. I can’t understand how it can happen so much either.😲

M0nica

Surely this is a good news story. It shows how totally this Ukrainian lady has integrated into our culture and understood that in this country, no matter how much you are given, you should always demand more.

Yes, didn’t take long did it.

Casdon
What doesn’t happen frequently? calling on a translation agency or finding somebody, anybody, to translate for a patient?
In my experience lots of NHS services are supposed to ‘be there’ but actually aren’t.

It’s an assumption based on the facts that she had very little English and many Ukrainians have recently moved here, yes.

Oreo

Casdon

No, because she wouldn’t be able to tell her mother what was happening, try translating aneurysm, arrhythmia or cardiomyopathy or a similar word into a foreign language that you do know, like French for example, and you’ll understand why there is an issue. They are words we understand only in our own language, we can’t translate them into our second or third language easily, because they aren’t words we use regularly.

So what should happen then?
There are many foreign patients in hospitals with not much English, translators can’t be found for all of them, and what are the chances of getting a translator to be there at the exact time the doctor/ consultant/ surgeon is talking to the patient before they rush off and leave the ward?

What normally happens is that where a patient has a consultation to discuss a serious diagnosis every effort is made to find a translator. Hospitals have lists of their staff who can be called on to support the discussion, and use them first. If nobody in house is available a translation agency is contacted. It doesn’t happen frequently.

Oreo

BlueBelle

Some people just don’t want anything done for anyone not born and bred here, always has been, got slightly better a couple of decades ago but has now got much worse
but if course they expect their bacon and eggs and everyone to speak English if they have a problem overseas

Think this comment very unfair if aimed at the OP.
She was highlighting a patient who was invited to be here cos of the war in Ukraine apparently complaining about not having a translator on hand when her life was being saved as she had a heart condition.Yes, it would be very nice if a translator could be found for all foreign patients in the UK with little English but the bottom line is that the NHS is barely staggering along.
Waiting lists are endless and appointments hard to get.

Actually, I dont think the OP has said that the patient's being here had anything to do with the war in the Ukraine, so I am assuming that is just an assumption.

Not that it makes much difference to thequestion under discussion, though.
As you said, the bottom line is that that the NHS is barely struggling along. That is the crux of the matter.

I'm more 'gobsmacked' by this ... add them up!

metro.co.uk/2024/03/05/yorkshire-hospital-cuts-off-six-peoples-limbs-mistake-20403344/#:~:text=A%20hospital%20has%20admitted%20to%20cutting%20six%20people%E2%80%99s,number%20of%20any%20NHS%20trust%20across%20the%20UK

I made approximately 106! One of my local hospitals '15 or fewer' which obviously means 15.

Just *HOW can it happen more than once without serious reviews happening??

Imagine waking up in recovery thinking your right arm or leg was amputated, to find the good one gone and the bad one needing to come off as well?

There are generally maybe 8-10 people in theatre too so how can none of them notice? It is usually marked with a sharpie pre-op and before the surgeon begins the area is swabbed with iodine before being sheeted up, so it isn't just the surgeons to blame either - unreal, and quite terrifying.

BlueBelle

Some people just don’t want anything done for anyone not born and bred here, always has been, got slightly better a couple of decades ago but has now got much worse
but if course they expect their bacon and eggs and everyone to speak English if they have a problem overseas

Think this comment very unfair if aimed at the OP.
She was highlighting a patient who was invited to be here cos of the war in Ukraine apparently complaining about not having a translator on hand when her life was being saved as she had a heart condition.Yes, it would be very nice if a translator could be found for all foreign patients in the UK with little English but the bottom line is that the NHS is barely staggering along.
Waiting lists are endless and appointments hard to get.

Casdon

No, because she wouldn’t be able to tell her mother what was happening, try translating aneurysm, arrhythmia or cardiomyopathy or a similar word into a foreign language that you do know, like French for example, and you’ll understand why there is an issue. They are words we understand only in our own language, we can’t translate them into our second or third language easily, because they aren’t words we use regularly.

So what should happen then?
There are many foreign patients in hospitals with not much English, translators can’t be found for all of them, and what are the chances of getting a translator to be there at the exact time the doctor/ consultant/ surgeon is talking to the patient before they rush off and leave the ward?

M0nica

Surely this is a good news story. It shows how totally this Ukrainian lady has integrated into our culture and understood that in this country, no matter how much you are given, you should always demand more.

Haha, good one!

There may be a case for translators in hospitals but bet there are few when you actually ask for one.
At least the heart patient had her daughter with her to translate.

No, because she wouldn’t be able to tell her mother what was happening, try translating aneurysm, arrhythmia or cardiomyopathy or a similar word into a foreign language that you do know, like French for example, and you’ll understand why there is an issue. They are words we understand only in our own language, we can’t translate them into our second or third language easily, because they aren’t words we use regularly.

If her daughter could speak and understand English, then I would have thought that was enough.😗

Some people just don’t want anything done for anyone not born and bred here, always has been, got slightly better a couple of decades ago but has now got much worse
but if course they expect their bacon and eggs and everyone to speak English if they have a problem overseas

I think you have hit the nail on the head Not Spaghetti, translating for medical terminology is not easy, this lady’s daughter would not have been able to do it for her, the NHS uses people trained in medical terminology wherever they can, although not available for all languages.

Opal

The NHS spent an estimated £174m on translation services for the years 2019-2022. Whilst I agree that new immigrants should receive a translation service when accessing the NHS, I do not agree that they should be provided for tourists, or for those who have lived in the UK for many years. Tourists should pay for their own translator - if they can afford to visit here, then they can afford a translator. Those who have lived here for years should have made the effort to sufficiently learn our language. I have worked in a GP practice, and translators are regularly provided, at a cost to the NHS, for people who have lived here for well over 10 years.

Those who have lived here for years should have made the effort to sufficiently learn our language.

Medical issues can call for a very high level of the language. The vocabulary is very different from 'everyday' language, so isnt something that the average non-native speaker is likely to become proficient in just by living here a long time.

I have a first class degree in a couple of foreign languages, but am not totally confident that I could easily navigate my way through all healthcare scenarios in those languages.

To be honest, I have struggled on several occasions to understand some doctors/consultants here in England, even though I am English!