Personal Protective Equipment - Question
– in the House of Lords at
11:18 am on 24th June 2020.
Baroness Coussins Crossbench
My Lords, the Minister will
not be surprised that I want to ask once again about interpreters in the NHS. I
appreciate that because of Covid-19 many hospitals are using interpreters by
telephone, but there must still be many cases where the physical presence of an
interpreter is needed, Covid-related or otherwise. No answer has yet been given
to my Written Question of 12 May about who is responsible for providing PPE for
interpreters. I would also like to be reassured by the Minister, who I know
appreciates the importance of interpreters, that they will not be forgotten
when it comes to stockpiling PPE to cope with a possible second wave, when
interpreters are likely to be needed more often if the disproportionate level
of infection among certain minority groups continues.
Lord Bethell The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social
Care
The noble Baroness is
entirely right to emphasise the disproportionate balance of infection among BAME
people and the importance of interpreters in ensuring that they get the
treatment they deserve. However, we are emphasising the use of telephone
services because we want to keep people out of areas of potential infection.
That remains part of the service that we deliver, and telephone arrangements
are proving extremely effective. However, I take on board her point about
providing PPE for those interpreters who are on site, and I will continue to
press those in the department who oversee this important area of activity.
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