Interpreting and Translation Services

NHS England & NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) East of England Region provide interpreting and translation services across the region (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Suffolk & North East Essex, Mid & South Essex, Herts & West Essex, Norfolk and Waveney and Bedford, Luton & Milton Keynes).

The suppliers of interpreting and translation services are:

DA Languages for spoken languages – Award Winning Translation Agency | DA Languages

Language Empire for non-spoken languages – https://www.language-empire.net/ Customer hub: https://customerhub.empire-groupuk.com/nhs-england-east-of-england/

The contract provision of these services are for all Primary Care contractor groups: Dentists, GPs, Optometrists and Pharmacies.

Details of the services to be provided include the following:

Provider

Service

DA Languages – Spoken Languages Non-Spoken Languages – Language Empire
Interpreting Multi-lingual

  • Telephone
  • Spoken Video
  • Spoken Face to Face (Simultaneous, Consecutive and Whispering)
  • British Sign Language (BSL)
  • Irish Sign Language (ISL)
  • Foreign Sign Language
  • Deafblind Interpreters
  • Video Relay Interpreting Services
  • Cued Speech/Makaton
  • Deaf Relay (Intralingual language modification)
  • Lip speakers
Transcription
  • Medical records
  • Speech-to-text reporting (Palantypist)
  • Electronic and manual note takers
Translation
  • Written
  • Audio/Video recordings to written text
  • EasyRead
  • Pictorial English
  • Audio/Video recordings to written text
  • BSL (Written Text into Video)
  • BSL In-Vision Translations
  • Braille
  • Subtitles
  • EasyRead
  • Pictorial English

Availability of services:

  Spoken Non-spoken
Face to face Between 08:00hrs and 18:00hrs Monday to Friday of each week and on Bank Holidays and weekends. (An additional out of hours’ facility shall be made available between 18:00hrs and 08:00hrs which will include access to GP Improved Access services and Extended Hours services, and other NHS commissioned primary care services outside of core services. Between 08:00hrs and 18:00hrs Monday to Friday of each week and on Bank Holidays and weekends. An additional out of hours’ facility shall be made available between 18:00hrs and 08:00hrs which will include access to GP Improved Access services and Extended Hours services, and other NHS commissioned primary care services outside of core services.
Telephone and video interpretation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

These services are for appointments where NHS treatment is provided and should not be used for private appointments.

These services have been commissioned to support the Accessible Information Standard (2016) which aims to ensure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss are provided with information that they can easily read or understand with support, to enhance communication with services.

All organisations that provide NHS care or adult social care are required to follow the Accessible Information Standard, including primary care practices. To meet the Accessible Information Standard, primary care organisations are required do five things:

  • Ask people if they have any information or communication needs, and find out how to meet their needs.
  • Record those needs clearly.
  • Highlight or ‘flag’ the person’s file or notes so it is clear that they have information or communication needs and how those needs should be met.
  • Share information about people’s information and communication needs with other providers of NHS and adult social care, when they have consent or permission to do so.
  • Take steps to ensure that people receive information which they can access and understand, and receive communication support if they need it.

Both DA Languages and Language Empire are working closely with NHSE&I to ensure a smooth implementation of services which will support practices in meeting their obligations under the Accessible Information Standard from the 1 November 2021.

In order to support implementation DA Languages and Language Empire will be making contact with you to ensure you are able to book services for patients and have access to the training information available. These communications (to include instructions on how to set up your account, access services and use the booking portals) will be sent over the next few weeks, either by the providers directly or via the Primary Care Gateway.

Please read all instructions carefully and should you have any queries, please contact DA Languages Ltd implementations@dalanguages.co.uk and/or Language Empire contract.management@empire-groupuk.com.

The email addresses that both DA Languages and Language Empire will use to set up your new accounts / communicate with you, will be those to which this Gateway message has been sent. If you would prefer a different email address is used, please send details (along with the name and address of your practice) as soon as possible to both:

DA Languages implementations@dalanguages.co.uk;  and

Language Empire contract.management@empire-groupuk.com

 

Accessible Information Standard can be found on the CPE website here.

“The Accessible Information Standard prescribes a five step approach to identifying, recording, highlighting, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of customers, patients, carers and parents. It applies to anyone with information or communication needs relating to a disability, impairment or sensory loss.”

The Accessible Information Standard tells organisations how they should make sure that disabled patients receive information in formats that they can understand and receive appropriate support to help them to communicate. This could include, but is not limited to:

  • large print
  • communication professional
  • sign language
  • braille
  • easy read
  • hearing loop

As of 31 July 2016, all organisations that provide NHS or publicly funded adult social care must have fully implemented and conform to the Accessible Information Standard.

Further information about the Accessible Information Standard can be found on the NHS England website.

The standard has now been applied to all PharmOutcomes services and the manual for how to record information whilst providing these services is available below:

PharmOutcomes Accessible Info Provider Manual

CPPE have produced an e-learning programme for the Accessible Information Standard and it is now available: Accessible Information Standard – making it work : CPPE