Just to share our experience, we have had quite a few Freedom of Information
requests and therefore had to supply quite detailed information in
particular costs.  To help you Jennifer whilst there is this legal
obligation in terms of people being able to access services, there is also a
need to look at proper use of public funds.  We have had dual interpretation
contracts both for telephone and face to face interpretation for some time
now.  To achieve efficiency followed by cost effectiveness we have rolled
out telephone interpreting largely due to inappropriate use of face to face
and secondly escalating costs owing to dramatic changes in our demographics.
Our services are available to all our primary care users and community
services which is a large pool of users.

 

We last year rolled out a mandatory criteria for users to use telephone
interpretation unless they have long, or exceptional cases to use face to
face. Exceptional could be issues around mental health, child protection,
non verbal interpretation for (deaf blind people), family cases,
consultations, visible instructions such as showing levels of doses for
medication to clients, etc.

 

This was a high level decision and has worked well therefore reduced costs
dramatically and achieved 90% compliance. We have supported users such as
dental practises by paying for one off installation of additional telephone
lines and supplying loudspeaking phones.  So there are other ways of
supporting access to services. Does this help? Geeta 

 

 

 

  _____  

From: Downie Jennifer [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: 13 January 2009 12:47
To: <a href="/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind0901%26L%3DMINORITY-ETHNIC-HEALTH%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D5146383%26B%3D------_%253D_NextPart_001_01C97589.4AAD71E0%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1%26attachment%3Dq" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>
Subject: Re: Guide on Medical Translation

 

We have suffered in recent months a lot of negative publicity regarding the
amount of money the NHS spends on interpreting and translation without any
reference to the cost of not providing to both the patient and the health
professional, or our legal obligation around access to our services, so I
welcome the comments below.

 

Jennifer Downie
Equality & Diversity Manager
NHS Norfolk


01603 257252 

07901 673958

  <mailto:[log in to unmask]> <a href="/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind0901%26L%3DMINORITY-ETHNIC-HEALTH%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D5146383%26B%3D------_%253D_NextPart_001_01C97589.4AAD71E0%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1%26attachment%3Dq" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>

 



 

  _____  

From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jacqueline
Beavan
Sent: 13 January 2009 08:40
To: <a href="/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind0901%26L%3DMINORITY-ETHNIC-HEALTH%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D5146383%26B%3D------_%253D_NextPart_001_01C97589.4AAD71E0%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1%26attachment%3Dq" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>
Subject: Re: Guide on Medical Translation

 

Legally, it could well prove to be uneconomic to discriminate on the grounds
of language (see the Human Rights Act too, which has a non-exhaustive list
of the grounds on which we shouldn't discriminate), although I agree we need
some test cases to raise the profile.  What we also need is some research to
show that it is uneconomic for other reasons, to counteract all the carping
about the cost to the NHS of providing language services.

 

The RNID estimate that the NHS loses £20 million a year through failing to
address the needs of deaf patients (leading to repeat appointments, missed
appointments, unnecessary tests, non-compliance, etc).  This gives some idea
of what might be lost through not providing interpreters for non-English
speakers.

 

Jackie

 

  _____  

From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lorraine Culley
Sent: 12 January 2009 17:55
To: <a href="/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind0901%26L%3DMINORITY-ETHNIC-HEALTH%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D5146383%26B%3D------_%253D_NextPart_001_01C97589.4AAD71E0%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1%26attachment%3Dq" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>
Subject: Re: Guide on Medical Translation

 

This is certainly an important patient safety issue - there was a good
article in New England Journal of Med July 2006 by Glen Flores on the
catastrophic consequences of a lack of interpreters in the ER. Some useful
references in this paper also. I am not a legal expert, but I think the
failure to provide adequate interpretation must amount to indirect
discrimination under the Race Relations Act.  I think its time that the HRC
brought a case to test this - might shake a few people up once it starts to
become 'uneconomic' to discriminate on the grounds of language!

 

 I think Jan (previous contributor) has some 'standards' - though these may
not be UK specific. 

 

Lorraine

 

Lorraine Culley

Professor of Social Science and Health

Associate Director Mary Seacole Research Centre

Hawthorn Building

De Montfort University

Leicester LE1 9BH

Tel. 0116 257 7753

Fax: 0116 257 7778

Knowledgeshare Editor: Diversity in Health and Social Care (Radcliffe)

http://www.dmu.ac.uk/faculties/hls/research/msrc/staff_LCulley.jsp
<http://www.dmu.ac.uk/faculties/hls/research/msrc/staff_LCulley.jsp>
<http://www.dmu.ac.uk/faculties/hls/staff/ass/res_lculley.jsp> 

 

 

  _____  

From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK on behalf of James
Stephen
Sent: Mon 12/01/2009 17:41
To: <a href="/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind0901%26L%3DMINORITY-ETHNIC-HEALTH%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D5146383%26B%3D------_%253D_NextPart_001_01C97589.4AAD71E0%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1%26attachment%3Dq" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>
Subject: Re: Guide on Medical Translation

Maternity Alliance, 2000, "As Good As Your Word" is a useful resource for
good practice, but I don't think there are accepted guidelines

 

On the justification for working with interpreters - locally, we find a
clinical governance argument seems perhaps to get the widest acceptance.
Some people think that patients should provide interpreters at their own
expense, because they say interpreting is not part of health care, and they
refer to practice in other European countries. One answer that seems to work
is that health professionals need interpreters in order to provide a safe
and effective service, e.g. to identify the patient, symptoms etc. So the
interpreter is a specialist resource for other health professionals, just as
they need to call on the services of other therapists, labs, 

 

Thanks, Stephen

 

Stephen James, Head of Partnerships and Diversity, Ealing Primary Care
Trust, 1 Armstrong Way, Southall, Middlesex UB2 4SA. Tel: 020 3313 9318.
Fax: 020 3313 9618. Email: <a href="/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind0901%26L%3DMINORITY-ETHNIC-HEALTH%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D5146383%26B%3D------_%253D_NextPart_001_01C97589.4AAD71E0%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1%26attachment%3Dq" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Alison Hipwell
Sent: 10 January 2009 13:11
To: <a href="/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind0901%26L%3DMINORITY-ETHNIC-HEALTH%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D5146383%26B%3D------_%253D_NextPart_001_01C97589.4AAD71E0%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1%26attachment%3Dq" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>
Subject: Re: Guide on Medical Translation

 

Thanks for circulating this document, Mary - it's particularly useful to me
at the moment as I'm currently writing my justification for working with
interpreters & translators in my PhD research!

 

Do we have comparable national guidelines in the UK?

 

Thanks,

Alison

 

  _____  

From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK on behalf of Mary
Phelan
Sent: Fri 09/01/2009 20:46
To: <a href="/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind0901%26L%3DMINORITY-ETHNIC-HEALTH%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D5146383%26B%3D------_%253D_NextPart_001_01C97589.4AAD71E0%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1%26attachment%3Dq" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>
Subject: Guide on Medical Translation

The US based International Medical Interpreters Association has a new online
Guide on Medical Translation available at:

 

http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/pages/438.pdf
<http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/pages/438.pdf> 

 

Regards

Mary Phelan

School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies

Dublin City University

 

 

  _____  

NOTICE

This message and any files transmitted with it is intended for the addressee
only and may contain information that is confidential or privileged.
Unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you are not the addressee, you
should not read, copy, disclose or otherwise use this message, except for
the purpose of delivery to the addressee. 

Any views or opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the author
and do not necessarily represent those of Coventry University.



********************************************************************
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
are addressed. If you have received this email in error, do not
copy, use it for any purpose or disclose to any other person. Please
notify <a href="/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind0901%26L%3DMINORITY-ETHNIC-HEALTH%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D5146383%26B%3D------_%253D_NextPart_001_01C97589.4AAD71E0%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1%26attachment%3Dq" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>

The contents of this e-mail may contain personal views which are not
the views of the Ealing Primary Care Trust.
********************************************************************