06.02.12
Lost in translation
Translation services in the NHS have been revealed as a huge cost during a time when significant savings must be achieved
The bill is far too high, and no doubt there are many effective ways to reduce this expense, especially by pooling resources to avoid duplication of translation.
But recommending increased use of web-based services may be poor advice. Google Translate is well known for its humorous errors and is still below the necessary standard for professional documents.
Additionally, suggesting that translation into multiple languages encourages segregation is unhelpful. Of course there is a limit as to how many different copies should be provided by the NHS, but expecting patients who do not understand English to learn the language before they can access treatment is unpractical.
Restricting care for those who need help would create more of a divide than providing information in patients’ native language, and fails to recognise the vast diversity of languages and people who rely on the NHS.
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