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lovely piece in this weeks BMA News to illustrate the problems:

BMA News

‘Good morning Mrs Sharma. Are you ready for your surgery?’
A blank face stared back at me. She appeared sweaty, had a slight tremor, and her blink rate was far above 30 per minute.
‘Is everything OK Mrs Sharma?’

Still nothing.

‘How was your night?’

‘Mein kuch samji nahin. Mere bete se baat karo.’

Mrs Sharma had been transferred to our cardiac unit the afternoon before with an acute occlusion in her left anterior descending artery. An angioplasty had failed, and she had been placed on the emergency surgical list for a coronary artery bypass graft that morning.

‘Mere beta se baat karo.’

I was born in India, and came to the UK when I was very young. My grasp of Hindi was poor but had been slowly improving because of my Bollywood fetish. Mrs Sharma wanted to speak to her son. It was 7.30am and the ward was not yet open to visitors. I decided to try my hand at Hindi.

‘Aap surgery kilye ready ho?’

Language scholars would have scorned at my ‘Hinglish’ attempt to ask whether she was prepared for surgery.

‘Surgery?’

‘Yes.’

‘Surgery kyon? Mere beta kahan hain?’

She looked perplexed at my mention of surgery, and asked for her son again. I consulted her notes. She had been transferred to the ward straight from the angiography lab, and the need for surgery had been discussed with the family.

A consent form had been signed and filed. I definitely had the right patient. I phoned the family.

Twenty minutes later Mrs Sharma’s son and two daughters arrived. I asked why their mother appeared oblivious to the idea of surgery.

Heads bowed, they admitted to not having told their mother of her diagnosis or that she would be requiring emergency heart surgery.

The son felt that his mother would only suffer more if she were told the whole truth. I understood their point of view, but also understood that their mother had no idea that was imminently due to be taken for potentially life-threatening surgery.

I called the surgeons. Within minutes it felt as though the entire cardiothoracic unit had descended on to the ward.

There was tutting and head-shaking.

Much of the blame was wrongly pointed in the direction of the family. No one mentioned the lack of responsibility we had shown towards the patient.

A qualified interpreter was found and Mrs Sharma and her family went on to have a detailed discussion with the consultant. I walked away quietly grateful for those hours I thought I had wasted on Bollywood flicks.

Rishika Sinha was a SHO in cardiology at the time of the incident. She is now an SpR in dermatology in London

Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 09:22:35 +0100
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Telephone interpreting
To: [log in to unmask]

Telephone interpreting

We do the same here in Oxfordshire. Our Face to Face interpreting is provided by HITS (Hertfordshire Interpretation and Translation service) using, where possible local interpreters, telephony by Language Line and Deaf interpreting by Deaf Direct.

 

We have one number to access all 3 services. We do know, however, that whatever we do many people are still using family and friends.

 

Mary

 

Mary Hardwick

 

Equality & Diversity Specialist

NHS Oxfordshire

 

tel:      01865 336873

mob:  07795127194

 


From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Downie Jennifer
Sent: 20 May 2010 09:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Telephone interpreting

 

We offer both – whilst telephone interpreting is a lower cost, there will always be situations (complex appointments, etc) where there is a need for face to face.  We are doing a piece of work at the moment around the ‘appropriate’ use of interpreters.  For example, staff need to be aware of the costs of booking face to face for simple appointments but not be discouraged from using face to face where appropriate.

 

Jennifer Downie
Equality & Diversity Manager
NHS Norfolk


01603 257252

07901 673958

 [log in to unmask]

 

 

 


From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nafsika Thalassis
Sent: 19 May 2010 16:19
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Telephone interpreting

 

I forwarded your message to a GP practising in Lewisham, and he tells me that Lewisham PCT offer telephone interpreting only.

 

Nafsika Thalassis

 


From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Arocha, Izabel
Sent: 19 May 2010 16:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Telephone interpreting

 

This group might be interested in the IMIA Guide on Telephone Interpreting, available at http://www.imiaweb.org/basic/TelGuide.asp

 

______________________________
Izabel Arocha, M.Ed.
President - International Medical Interpreters Association - www.imiaweb.org  
IMIA - Leading the advancement of professional interpreters.
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From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Devlin Alison (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust)
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 10:50 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Telephone interpreting

The ambulance trusts are predominantly telephone based interpreting services because of the call centre element is telephone-based anyway but also because the clinical staff on the scene need an interpreter immediately so (in the London Ambulance Service anyway), use a mobile telephone and pass it between themselves and the patient.

 

Alison Devlin
Equalities and Diversity Co-ordinator
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Greater London House, Hampstead Road, London. NW1 7QY
Tel: 020 3214 5770  Mob: 07815 779030  Fax: 020 3214 5892

From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Robinson, James
Sent: 19 May 2010 15:45
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Telephone interpreting

 

Dear all
There was some conversation around telephone interpreting in November last year. One of the contributions seemed to suggest in some areas there was a move away from face to face toward telephone services. Is anyone aware of any Trusts or Boards that have moved exclusively or predominantly to telephone interpreting?
Jim
Jim Robinson
Equality and Health Improvement Facilitator
Lothian University Hospitals

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