This is appalling and contradictory to all human rights agreements and indeed, may fly in the fact of the EU Directives on cross-border care - since many migrants and migrant workers have legal rights and recognition of their minority languages in their 'original' host states as well as for those who are simple third country nationals working in NL from outwith the EU> Does Directive 2011/24/EU of 9 March 2011 not have anything to say on this - let alone the agreememnts on minority languages (which might indeed be taken as applying not only to Frisian and other Dutch minority sprache, but also to Dutch/Flemish across the rest of Europe) - will they not be disadvatanging their own citizens abroad (no, not all Dutch people speak fluent English, even if it seems that way)

Nor shall I consider the public health issues if a migrant ignorant of the facts is the start-point for an epidemic of 'bird flu' or some such. Infections take little account of nationality or language competence and could well wipe out the native Dutch, in theory!

And is this not the thin end of a very big wedge that we all need to challenge in Uk and elsewhere - see the very different scenario unfolding in the USA where increasingly, lack of language support / competence on the part of the provider may be seen as medical negligence....

Hello David!

This is amazing!

I can only see this bringing chaos, trauma and a sense of abandonment for people, practitioners and services across the lifespan.

Best, Nicholas

professor nicholas procter| chair: mental health nursing | unisa

city east campus | centenary building | north terrace | adelaide sa 5000

t +61 8 8302 2148 | f +61 8 8302 2168 | http://people.unisa.edu.au/nicholas.procter

From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ingleby, J.D. (David) [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, 31 May 2011 8:17 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: NEWS FLASH - Dutch Ministry of Health abolishes support for translation and interpretation

Dear list members,

Using the argument that "patients are responsible for their own command of the Dutch language", the Dutch Ministry of Health has just announced that it is scrapping all subsidies for translation and interpretation in health care. The present government is dependent on the support of the extreme-right politician Geert Wilders and there can be little doubt that the move is related to this. It is certain to reduce the quality and accessibility of health care for all who are less than fluent in Dutch - one of the most difficult languages in Europe.

You can read more about this development at http://tinyurl.com/4ywazzr (copy and paste if link doesn't work). It would greatly help the campaign against these cuts if people outside the Netherlands would tell us what they think of them. Your support will be much appreciated!

David

http://www.ercomer.eu/researchers-2/prof-dr-david-ingleby/