General Chat

I had to learn Latin, French and German was offered Russian or Greek as an option. Urdu, Mandarin, Swahili etc weren't an option.

The UK suffers from a poverty of foreign languages.

The Government should be persuaded to restore the mandatory study of a foreign language until pupils reach 16 at least. We are known as a nation of monoglots in a world of polyglots.

Thanks Suzanne.

:-)

very good point. Tess.x

Just an added point about interpretors...


Some will be for deaf people and deaf blind people. As well as patients who are unable to make themselves understood due to other physical impairment eg stroke, ceberal palsy, aquired head injury etc.

All these people have the right to privacy. They may not want a family member, neighbour or friend to know all about their condition.

Privacy is one of the reasons that official interpretors are sometimes used instead of family members.

I have worked in the National Health, we tried to use "in-house" translators when possible.

I have been embarressed when talking to a family about their young childs learning difficulty, to have to do it via a neighbour. This meant that the neighbour was finding out about the childs problems (just) before the parents.

The neighbour had no reason (except her consience) to keep details she learnt confidencial.

no of course not supercrutch,it all boils down to the same thing really,waste,and the N.H.S does it on a massive scale.
Anyway i would be to scared to slap you anywhere. :-D :-D :-D :-D
and please dont hurt yourself with that tea towel on my behalf. :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

Thanks suzzane, sorry i may off gone of on a tangent xx

Did you just smack my wrist Suzanne for going off topic?

*flagellates with wet tea towel* :-D

you cant rely on foreign staff because it would breech their tearms of employment. :-D :-D

I worked in our local psychiatric hospital for nigh on thirty years and although we had an interpreters list, generally we used our own staff - we had plenty of Mauritians who speak patois French and lots of staff from African countries so I don't recall us ever having big expenses for interpreters - nowadays all hospitals seem to rely on foreign staff and they should be the interpreters

yes,our genaral hos is the same.its ery hard to understand some consultants,but i have to say they are as good as our medical staff,and some times better...but this thread is about translators for patients not doctors,and yes in other country"s you do have to pay for medical care and translators,but this is england and everything is free unless your actually british.

Totaly agree suzanne, my local hospital is one of the worst in the country for a number of things, and rumour has it that they are employing staff from abroad such as consultans that arnt as qualified, ive always known about the nurses, to the point, our hospital now gives you booklets and pages of what procedures your going to have and some you may have, so that alone is a drain and now the translated lot, i walked out with piles of paper work.

I really struggle with the language barrier or did, now if i dont understand i sit there till i dam well do.

i wish they would spend more carefully, i would have prefered website addresses and keep the leaflets for those who havent a computer.

what happens if your ill abroad do you always have to pay for a interpreter, havent been for a long time.

I would stop, or attempt to stop, medical tourism.

OK I know this is contentious BUT if you need a kidney transplant and the only way to get one in your home country is via the body parts market at a cost that is way over your means - fly into the UK on a tourist visa and immediately present yourself at A & E.

I know we would all do whatever we could to save our life or a loved one's life but hell's bells why are they allowed to travel?

There has to be a universal benefit in other countries for life and death situations, it's a wicked world we live in when I feel it's unjust for NHS services to be abused. I'm not proud of it but we are a soft touch.

NB I have NO objection to children being treated in specialist hospitals in the UK when they have had their limbs blown off or suffered terrible burns during a conflict which their country deems their injuries a price worth paying for the governments goals.

Sue

Thank you all for your comments.
so on the whole you agree that its a massive waste of money,money that could be spent on more important things.
What really gets me is when they start saying things like,obese people will not be treated on the n.h.s because they have caused their own medical problems by overeating,or smokers because they hae given thenselves cancer by smoking(these are people who have worked for yrs and paid tax)how dare they say that,and then spend 65million on translators for people who probably have never paid a penny towards their care.
why do we all wonder why the n.h.s is on its knees?x

As you know, I spend quite abit of time in hospital, and have to agree with Island. Some doctors are such poor speakers of the English language, usually the F1's and F2's (learners).. By the time they get to Consultancy stage, they have been here alot longer, so have learned the language.
I find myself making out that I am a little deaf, so that they have to speak up, and directly at me, for me to understand what they are saying, even using hand signals. Is anyone coming to my aid. In a word, NO.

Julia in Derbyshire

It's PC gone too far again!

As a regular at an outpatients clinic which has a rotation of specialists I sometimes find myself apologising because I have difficulty in understanding what the doctor is saying (I don't mean medically) and I am English! I'm sure if I asked for a translator I'd be accused of racism :-|

A form came round the hospital where I worked ,at least 12 years ago, asking if members of staff had a second language. The idea being that interpreters could be used from available staff.
Reading the excuse for independent interpreters nowadays according to the news this week was that some relatives:-
1. May not give correct information in order to protect the patient.
2.Might not fully understand the information being given to the patient. 3.Also patient rights.
This is why the cost has rocketed in the past few of years, together with more nationalities taking advantage of our NHS.

Another problem, I don't know how much nowadays but some ethnic groups couldn't read even when information was translated into their own language.-jl

No it's not well spent when schools, hospitals and care homes are closing for people who have worked hard all their days and paid tax.

Marion

no i dont if they have a problem bring their own translator

yes chris thats right.
SUE i work for special childrens services,and the difficulty your friend is facing is across the board.xx :-( :-(