Inclusive care thanks to Interpreter Services

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped RBWH patients with communication barriers from accessing the assistance they need to understand their healthcare.

Despite changes to outpatient appointments and visitor restrictions throughout the year, the Interpreter Services team have seen an 8.5 per cent increase in the use of their service compared to 2019.

More than 14,848 onsite appointments have occurred in 2020, in addition to 5,508 by telephone and 57 by video.

Interpreter Services can provide assistance for a range of different communications barriers including for people who don’t speak English, deaf patients and patients with mental health issues.

RBWH patient Margaret and her husband Merv are both deaf and have been using interpreters for a number of years.

The couple have been in and out of hospital over the past three years after Merv suffered a fall in 2017. When he was left without an interpreter for days in another facility, they made the difficult decision to leave their hometown in the hope Margaret would receive better support at RBWH after a cancer diagnosis early this year.

Their son Sam, who is a strong advocate for the deaf community and is all too familiar with the barriers his parents typically face, says the support of RBWH staff has certainly put his mind at ease.

“I have seen a huge improvement to the care my parents are receiving since they came to RBWH,” he said.

“Staff from RBWH have spent the time getting to know us and understanding some of the common barriers we face and that’s what has really made the difference,” said Sam.

“I would love to see that all staff know how to access Interpreter Services for Deaf people and people with other barriers to safe communication.”

Metro North Interpreter Services Coordinator Diana Padilla said caring for patients like Margaret and Merv is at the heart of everything they do.

“It’s daunting enough coming to hospital, let alone if you have a communication barrier,” she said.

“COVID-19 has meant we’ve had to change our service offering at times, however we’ve used this as an opportunity to adapt and update our service for the better.

“It’s our goal to provide a positive healthcare experience for every patient, regardless of the type of interpreter they require.”