Written by our helpline team; Debs, Kevin and Susitha.

Komunikacja, Comunicare, ਸੰਚਾਰ, مواصلات, Comunicação, Comunicación, التواصل, যোগাযোগ, સંદેશાવ્યવહાર, 溝通 沟通.

Communication is a fundamental part of human life. It goes beyond culture or language to how we share information, ideas, thoughts, feelings, and emotions through speech, signals, writing, or behaviour.

It helps us to connect with each other, build relationships, and work together. It is also a vital tool for sharing knowledge, learning, and innovation. When done well, communication helps us to avoid misunderstandings, resolve conflicts and make decisions.

Understanding the translation of communication in different languages can also provide valuable insights into diverse cultures and traditions.

On our helpline we have many different ways of communicating, through email, letter or telephone, but we are also aware that some people can't access our services or make a connection with us. To help overcome this barrier, we use an interpreter organisation called Language is Everything to make communication accessible for more people. We are also able to provide communication in larger print or access a signing service if necessary.

A patient called to say that whilst on holiday she had a medical emergency and now had discharge notes in Spanish, which her GP was insisting be translated with an 'NHS Approved' translation service. She had not been able to locate this service and was coming to us as her last option as she needed further treatment now home. She sent a photo of the documentation, and our advisor was able to access our interpretation services, providing what she needed within two days. Her translation came with a legally acceptable certificate to verify the service, and the caller was so happy that she joined the Patients Association as a member and made a donation.

Another caller contacted us as she was having ongoing issues with her GP surgery. She is visually impaired, uses a magnifying glass to read, and digitally excluded due to personal reasons. We provided the information she needed in large print and arranged for this to be posted to her home address.

So, although we are aware that this is being written in English, we do hope that people know we will always try to communicate with our callers and those who email us, in a way that makes them feel heard and understood. Our communication may start via a family member who speaks English but connections can then be made in a way that can ensure our callers are at ease, secure in knowing that we do actually speak their language!

*(Reference: 2021 Census data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the top 10 most spoken languages in the UK).