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A new handheld translation device has been introduced by the Southern Trust to help improve communication between staff and patients who do not speak English. The device is now in operation at Craigavon Area and Daisy Hill Emergency Departments and is being rolled out to GP practices across the Southern Trust area.
The pocket-sized digital kit can translate up to 108 languages through audio or text in real time.
Introduced as a pilot by the Southern Trust Promoting Wellbeing team and Primary Care Multidisciplinary Teams, this is the first time the technology has been used in Northern Ireland health and social care.
Robbie McCague, Inequalities and Inclusion Co-ordinator for the Trust said that language barriers, culture and knowledge of services continue to cause issues for many.
Martina McAloon the Multi-Disciplinary Teams in Primary Care Social Work Lead added “We are keen to promote and improve access to our services for all of those living in our local community. The translation devices are an ideal solution for those occasions when a person arrives into a GP surgery or ED without an interpreter, or perhaps when we cannot match a specific language interpreter for an urgent appointment time. They allow the initial consultation to proceed rather than cancelling the appointment, ensuring the best use of staff time and health and social care resources, and that we can offer more timely care with a better overall patient experience.”
Welcoming delivery of the new devices, Paul Smyth Acting Head of Department for Emergency Departments and Minor Injury Unit, said “Effective communication is absolutely vital in a busy health and social care setting. In the multilingual world that we are now living in, we are always striving to ensure that we are effectively communicating with all of our service users. These new devices are a welcome addition to interpreting support. For example, if a patient arrives without a pre booked interpreter or in an emergency situation, it allows staff to quickly respond and arrange the most suitable care without delay.”
Alison Rooney, Director of Operations for the Southern GP Federation, stated “Following a successful funding bid in collaboration with the Southern Trust, we delivered translator devices to 20 practices within the Craigavon GP Federation last week and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. This welcome addition is designed to enhance, not replace, existing translation services, ensuring more equitable access to healthcare, particularly for on the day presentations, for patients who do not speak English. Over the upcoming weeks, we look forward to delivering the translator devices to the Newry & District and Armagh & Dungannon GP practices.”
