Sharp rise in NHS bill for hospital interpreters (From York Press)
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Sharp rise in NHS bill for hospital interpreters
9:31am Thursday 9th February 2012 in News
SPENDING on interpreters at York Hospital has leapt tenfold in the last five years, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.
The hospital’s bill for interpretation services rose from £2,233 in 2007/08 to £23,000 in 2010/11 - the largest percentage increase in Yorkshire - with the biggest demand being for Polish translators.
In the same period, Harrogate Hospital’s expenditure increased from £13,613 to £34,516. The total bill for hospital trusts across Yorkshire was £9.4 million, with Leeds Hospitals accounting for more than a third.
Under race relations and equality legislation, hospital trusts have a duty to provide accessible services, including help with languages.
A spokeswoman for York teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said interpreting services at the hospital included telephone interpreting, document translation, Typetalk and hearing loops, and Braille/Audio/CD.
She said: “Far and away our biggest spend on translation is for British Sign Language.
“Our most frequent foreign language request is for Polish which is mostly conducted by telephone as this is much less costly than face to face interpreting.
“In the last two years a lot of effort has been put into making staff, patients and relatives aware that the translation service exists and how to access it. This may go some way to explaining the increase.”
Comments(13)
inthesticks
says...
10:22am Thu 9 Feb 12
Omega Point
says...
11:52am Thu 9 Feb 12
So we can ask a fair question. What is the percentage increase for foreign language users as a seperate figure.
That is the figure people should use if they wish to make comments such as the first two posts
bloodaxe
says...
12:06pm Thu 9 Feb 12
bloodaxe
says...
12:07pm Thu 9 Feb 12
bloodaxe wrote:Ill. Damned predictive text.
I suppose that anyone complaining about translation services for non-English speakers should hope that they are never taken I'll whilst abroad.
PKH
says...
12:30pm Thu 9 Feb 12
bloodaxe wrote:I watched Benidorm ER last night, and anyone who required a translation service there had to pay for it themselves
I suppose that anyone complaining about translation services for non-English speakers should hope that they are never taken I'll whilst abroad.
Sillybillies
says...
12:40pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Dick Turpin
says...
12:48pm Thu 9 Feb 12
thefutureis
says...
12:50pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Utter non story and just a hat tip to the racists
Garrowby Turnoff
says...
2:09pm Thu 9 Feb 12
bloodaxe wrote:I remember many years ago a friend of mine trying to explain to the doctor in a French hospital that his pregnant English wife had diarrhoea and was not in labour. He wasn't doing very well. The defining phrase that was translated back was "...this fat ladies bottom wants to go to the toilet quicker than she does!"
I suppose that anyone complaining about translation services for non-English speakers should hope that they are never taken I'll whilst abroad.
I was no more good... the French doctor either.
R'Marcus
says...
4:53pm Thu 9 Feb 12
People who come to live and work in this country are welcome...BUT first learn the language.
When I lived and worked overseas (Indian and also in Central Africa) I had to learn the languages of the countries first, otherwise one would not get a job.
As the saying goes, "When in Rome...."
Exiled Tyke
says...
1:48pm Fri 10 Feb 12
Sillybillies
says...
12:09am Sat 11 Feb 12
thefutureis says...
12:50pm Thu 9 Feb 12
At the end of the day either these people are a) tax payers in which case they have paid NI and are entitled to the service theyve paid for b) not tax payers in which case theyll be paying for their NHS treatment and are entitled to the service they pay for.
Utter non story and just a hat tip to the racists
There should be no translation services provided in either case. Either they learn English or just plain tough.
ISeeEverything says...
10:13am Thu 9 Feb 12