A Holyrood committee has agreed to investigate the merits of lobbying for improvements to translation services within the NHS.
The public petitions committee decided yesterday to take forward a request lodged by Multi-ethnic Aberdeen Ltd (MeAL) which says the health board in Grampian must do more to cater for people who speak less common languages such as Romanian to ensure they gain access to speedy treatment.
Project co-ordinator Godfrey Joseph would like to see staff at hospitals using video conferencing and the internet to communicate with workers at hospitals who speak a patient’s language.
He said the service does not have to be restricted to the UK and a global database could be set up for interpreters from patients’ home countries.
Mr Joseph, who addressed the committee, said the move would be a faster and more efficient method of communicating and would help alleviate anxiety and stress for patients.
More than 7,000 migrant workers were registered in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire in 2008/2009.
Some 4% of the city’s working age population does not use English as a first language and in Aberdeenshire, Polish and Lithuanian are the second and third most widely spoken languages.
The committee decided to gather further information on the Belmont Street-based charity’s proposals for more visual interpretation services.
NHS Grampian has a pool of 120 translators after it completed a £20,000 recruitment drive in April this year.
The translators can cater for 60 languages, although research has found there are more than 80 languages spoken in Grampian.
NHS Grampian also provides Language Line, a phone service which gives access to interpreters and is available in 502 locations through the region’s GP practices.
North-east SNP MSP Nigel Don, a committee member who is backing the campaign, applauded the decision to explore the issue further.
“I welcome the steps taken by NHS Grampian to increases the number of interpreters and the introduction of Language Line,” he added.
“However, we have heard evidence today from MeAL that suggests a visual link is very important when it comes to interpretation services for patients.
“The committee will be looking into the proposals for more visual interpretation services.”