Interpretation and Language Support

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust > Our Patients & Visitors > After you leave > Help and support > Vulnerable Patients > Interpretation and Language Support

We offer interpretation in most languages as well as British Sign Language interpretation.

There is a Communication Folder on each ward which contains pictures, symbols and sign languages to aid effective communication. We also have samples of different languages to help identify which languages patients speak when they do not speak English and are admitted to hospital unexpectedly.

There are hearing loops available across all of our hospital sites.

If you need an interpreter at an outpatient appointment, please ask your GP to request one, or ask for one when you make your appointment. We are unlikely to be able to provide an interpreter for your appointment if we do not know in advance that you need one.

We also have a telephone interpreting service which can be used by all our patients.

The top ten languages requested by patients requiring interpreters in the last year are shown in the graph below. Punjabi remains the most frequently requested language.