1 November 2023
Adjust GP funding based on need for translation services, says watchdog
GP funding should be reviewed to make sure resources can be adjusted depending on patients’ need for translation or interpreting support, a watchdog has said.
Healthwatch looked at issues faced by ethnic minority groups when trying
to access healthcare, and pointed out that a shortage of interpreters means
that some people are forced to wait longer for an
appointment.
This contributes to people in ethnic minority groups waiting longer to receive care, the watchdog said.
It proposed a review of GP funding so that it can be adjusted according to people’s needs for translation or interpreting support.
The watchdog’s report said: ‘A significant proportion (1.8%) of England’s population either doesn’t speak English well, or doesn’t speak it at all.
‘Yet we still hear from people who don’t have the tools they need to communicate in healthcare settings.
‘In 2016, the NHS developed the Accessible Information Standard, making it compulsory to offer care and information in accessible formats for people with learning disabilities or sensory impairments.
‘But this doesn’t include translation services for those without sufficient English language.’
Last month, GP practices in Yorkshire were asked by their ICB to change how they use telephone translation services in a bid to save money amid ‘financial deficits’. […]
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