BBC
Madalina Moisa is from Romania and works as an administrative staff member in the emergency department at Craigavon Hospital.
A new device is helping improve communication between non-English speaking patients and medical staff in some areas of Northern Ireland.
The pocket-sized digital kit can translate up to 108 languages through voice or text in real time.
The handheld technology is about the size of a mobile phone and is part of a pilot project being rolled out at the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.
It is currently used in the emergency departments of Craigavon and Daisy Hill hospitals, as well as some GP practices within the trust.
The translation device is currently being used in the emergency departments of Craigavon and Daisy Hill hospitals, as well as in some GP practices.
Madalina Moisa is from Romania and works at the front desk of Craigavon Hospital’s emergency department.
She has lived in Northern Ireland for eight years and now speaks many languages, including English.
She uses a translation device regularly.
The device works by having a patient speak into a small microphone, which relays what the person says to the health care worker in English and back in the patient’s native language.
“It’s really helpful because we can communicate more quickly between patients when there’s a language barrier. It also takes a lot of pressure and frustration off,” Madalina said.
“It’s hard enough to be in pain and worry about your health, but it’s even harder not to be able to express yourself, so this device is making a huge difference.”
diverse population
Southern Trust provides services across five council areas: Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon, Dungannon and Newry and Morne.
It has one of the most ethnically diverse patient populations in Northern Ireland.
Towns such as Dungannon and Craigavon have seen an increase in the number of families from outside the UK over the past 20 years, mainly due to increased employment in local food processing, engineering companies and healthcare settings.
“We have a very diverse patient population. We just had someone from Poland in the emergency department,” Madalina added.
“I don’t speak Polish, but this device was able to translate in real time that they were concerned about chest pain. So it’s really valuable.”
Stacey Hardy is head nurse in Craigavon’s emergency department
Many hospitals in Northern Ireland already employ people to provide interpretation services.
Stacey Hardy is head nurse in Craigavon’s emergency department.
She said translation devices are there to enhance these services, not replace them.
Gerald Locks says he hopes the translation device will be introduced in healthcare settings across Northern Ireland.
She added: “While in-person interpretation and telephone services are still mostly used, this can help avoid delays in emergency medical care when those resources are stretched to their limits.” Ta.
BBC News NI previously reported on the delays and waiting times faced by emergency departments across Northern Ireland.
To date, the translation equipment has been delivered to at least 20 GP practices within the Craigavon area, with further rollouts expected in Newry, Armagh and Dungannon in the coming weeks.
Gerald Locks is assistant director of wellbeing at the Southern Trust.
He said: “This is the first time this device has been used in a health or social care setting, but our aim is that it will eventually be used across Northern Ireland.”
“Our population is becoming increasingly diverse, and we need to serve patients regardless of ethnicity, cultural background, or language.”
Madalina Moysa believes initiatives like Translators are a positive step for health services to support ethnic minorities, especially after the summer’s racist violence.
“It won’t change things overnight, but it will show that efforts are being made to understand people and try to help them in any way they can, no matter where they come from.”
