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translate, so it is difficult and draw the matter to the
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to cater for them all. the attention of your employer
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national register of public or practice manager.
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service interpreters provides J

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a quality-assured register of GMc practical pointers
healthcare interpreters, but it ■ talk to your practice
does not regulate them.
1
so if manager – find out what
an interpreter is not a practical patient information, ie,
solution option, what are the leaflets, posters, etc, is
options available to gps? available. check that
important signage and
problem areas announcements are in
Being aware of the risky plain language and are
areas where there is the accessible to all the main
potential for problems to groups served by the
arise is a good starting healthcare organisation.
point for gps, such as: ■ be aware of the
■ consent – particularly communication chain
where the information – non-medical staff, eg,
about proposed treatment receptionists, are the
is complicated, it is first people that patients
important to check the encounter. communication
patient’s understanding problems with a busy
of the risks and benefits. receptionist can cause
■ dual residence – distress or discomfort
patients living in two for a range of patients/
different countries may service users. so non-
be seeing different health english patients may be
professionals. Matching on edge when they walk in
treatments and prescribing to the consultation room.
options can be difficult. ■ Maintain eye contact –
■ child protection – particularly when working
again, identifying and with an interpreter, even
providing support for if the patient cannot
vulnerable children is understand you. this can
made more difficult by reduce certain anxieties
communication problems. or suspicions from your
■ older people and those patient and allows you to
lacking capacity – the monitor body language.
difficulty of establishing ■ remember that the useful resources
the needs and wishes of interpretation process
those with limited capacity takes time – suggest that ■ nlH Specialist library for ethnicity and Health
will prove more difficult your chambers, agency or – Aims to select the best available evidence about
when there are language personal conditions state management of a healthcare service and specific
and cultural differences. that a double-appointment is needs in healthcare for minority ethnic groups.
this may be exacerbated necessary to allow adequate – www.library.nhs.uk/ethnicity
if it is difficult to separate time to consult effectively. ■ Sounds Healthy – Provides health information in
the interests of the carer, ■ ensure that background audio and text formats in several languages.
acting as translator, from noise is at a minimum – www.soundshealthy.nhs.uk
those of the patient. – this should be the case ■ emergency Multilingual phrasebook – The
finding out what resources even if an interpreter Department of Health website’s publication section
are available locally to is not present. includes various languages, including Amharic,
manage language differences ■ be cautious – some Bosnian-Bosanski, Farsi, Kurdish, Slovak, Welsh
will help prepare you for people who most need in downloadable PDF files). – www.dh.gov.uk/en/
issues which might arise. information in their own Publicationsandstatistics/Publications
However, you may find out language may not be ■ electronic Quality information for patients (eQuip)
that they are limited (your literate in any language. – The language has links to a wide range of resources
pct may only fund telephone ■ be patient – being in other languages, including medical factsheets,
translation, for example), or sensitive to the needs of organisations and translators. – www.equip.nhs.uk
inadequate for your patient non-english speakers by
population. if this does or being patient and working
could compromise patient with them can safeguard
1 national register of public service interpreters – www.nrpsi.co.uk
care, then follow gMc advice you against complaints.
2 gMc, Diversity and equal opportunities – Effective Communication (resource
guide) – www.gmc-uk.org
sessional gp | voluMe 1 | 2009 www.mps.org.uk 23
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