Communication Support & Language Plan

Imagine your child is sick. You take them to hospital but you can’t find a way to let the staff there know what is wrong. They ask you questions, but you don’t understand what they are saying.

This is just one of the frightening scenarios which people can find themselves in if they have difficulties with the types of communication many of us take for granted. There are many reasons why someone might find themselves in this situation:

1. English is not their first language
2. They have a visual impairment, are deaf or hard of hearing
3. A condition such as a stroke or having learning difficulties makes communication hard
4. They have difficulty reading

The Communication Support and Language Plan aims to ensure a more efficient and co-ordinated approach from the health service to providing communication support for those who need it. The plan has been put together by a range of health professionals and experts from various organisations and there has been widespread consultation with service users to ensure that this crucial issue is being dealt with correctly.

“Health staff not being able to communicate effectively with patients can have real consequences for their health and the services they receive,” said Jac Ross of the Corporate Inequalities Team. “Many patients miss appointments or are unable to access services because of the language barrier. It is also frustrating for staff who find themselves unable to communicate with their patients.”

The main areas for action over the coming year are currently being discussed and agreed by staff and service users, a process that will continue as work is developed to meet the Plan’s objectives.

The objectives are:

1. To ensure the delivery of the existing Black/Minority Ethnic interpreting procedure and British Sign Language procedure and to ensure all people being admitted to beds have their language and communication support needs assessed and dealt with appropriately.
2. To estimate the extent of needs that are currently not being met, in order to plan where resources will be required in the future, including the current need for interpreters across NHSGGC.
3. To ensure that individual patients are assessed for their communication support needs and that this is used throughout the patient’s time with the health service.
4. To ensure NHSGGC meets the needs of those with complex communication needs in our services, e.g. someone with learning difficulties who also Deaf.
5. To increase the availability and range of interpreting, translation, and communication support services where there are existing gaps.
6. To improve the quality of interpreting, translation and communication support.
7. To ensure that staff understand and utilise interpreting, translation and communication support services on behalf of patients.
8. To increase and improve the availability and range of patient and public information in accessible formats.
9. To improve the understanding within the population of their right to and the availability of communication and language support.
10. To establish a consistent approach to signage across NHSGGC properties.

To view the full Communication Support & Language Plan click here.

For a range of language resources currently available for NHS staff, please go to Staff Resources.