A new £125,000 mobile translation service has been launched to make communication easier for thousands of patients at Northwick Park Hospital and other sites run by London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH).
LNWH Charity, the official charity supporting the trust, has funded the initiative, which will see 100 mobile iPad trolleys rolled out across their three hospital sites, Northwick Park, Ealing and Central Middlesex. The devices will give staff instant access to translation services, helping around 40,000 patients each year.
The new system allows clinical teams to use an interactive app that can translate up to 50 languages on screen or connect patients to a live translator via video within minutes.
Abdi Yussuf, Language and Interpreting Lead for LNWH Trust, said: “We serve one of the most diverse communities in the UK and this evolution in technology makes it easier for staff and patients regardless of language barriers.”
The most commonly requested languages for translation across the trust’s hospitals, including Northwick Park, are Romanian, Gujarati and Arabic.
LNWH Charity raises funds to support patients, staff, and services across London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, which provides hospital and community care to people in Harrow, Brent, and Ealing. The charity helps fund projects that go beyond standard NHS services, from state-of-the-art equipment to initiatives that improve patient experience.
The new translation system is expected to speed up communication, improve care, and make hospital visits less stressful for people who don’t speak English.
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