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translation service wasn't available at appointment

Posted By whataservice

"translation service wasn't available at appointment"

About: Doncaster Royal Infirmary / Endocrinology

(as a friend),

My friend has been referred for a consultancy at Doncaster Royal Infirmary Hospital at the Endocrinology department. I have contacted the hospital to request an translation service as my Polish friend hasn't got much knowledge of English language, his vocabulary is very limited and that is why I have requested a translation service on the phone. Hospital of course said everything is fine and the translation is booked for that appointment.

Imagine my friends face when he went for a consultancy on the agreed date and time, and there were no tranlation on the phone? What can a person with no English explain to the doctor? Doctor has not even put a simple Google translator to at least get a basic understanding of why the patient came to premises and what is his health problem, not even mentioning many questions which he wanted to ask a doctor as he was curious of his life and did not have any chance to ask them and get any answers.

Really unsatisfied, at the moment I am hardly trying to get in touch with endocrinology department to find out what the doctor said to him and to find out what is the reason we have not been contacted that the translation is no longer available.

It is impossible to get in touch with anyone who knows anything.

Extremely poor communication service throughout the hospital, as redirected by reception, phone goes off.

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Responses

Response from Gill Pickersgill, Communications & Engagement Officer, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 8 years ago
Gill Pickersgill
Communications & Engagement Officer,
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 26/02/2016 at 14:21
Published on Care Opinion at 16:29

Thank you for your raising your concerns with us. The Trust uses telephone and face to face interpreters, so we are very sorry that the telephone option was not made available to your friend. Polish speaking interpreters are often used and we will be happy to investigate the concern you have raised if you can provide the date and time of the appointment. We will ensure the endocrinology department staff are reminded of the steps that they need to take to use telephone interpreter services.

Thank you again for your feedback and please apologise to your friend that this service was not made available.

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