Wales: Language barriers can cause medical harm – report

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-68569298.amp

14 March 2024

Wales: Language barriers can cause medical harm – report

A woman who went to her GP with a urinary tract infection (UTI) missed the chance to catch her cancer early because she relied on her son to translate.

Dr Shanti Karupiah said when the woman was examined she was found to have stage four cervical cancer.

A Senedd report recommends translators are provided to patients to help avoid health conditions being missed.

The Welsh government said it would consider the recommendations.

The report by the Equality and Social Justice Committee said mistakes and misdiagnoses occurred often due to the "wholly inappropriate use of family members as interpreters in medical settings, rather than trained professionals".

Read more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-68569298.amp

https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2024-03-15/i-had-17-calls-in-one-hour-it-was-scary-the-patients-without-a-voice

 

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/woman-diagnosed-stage-4-cancer-28819790