Primary Care Interpreting Service

Patient experience of interpreting services in Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark. Earlier this year we collated feedback on service users’ experience of the interpreting services provided at GP surgeries across Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark. The findings will be published shortly and will assist commissioners in ongoing service development and improvement.

Interpreting services are available to all patients registered with a GP practice in Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark who need interpreting support when seeing a GP or a nurse at their GP practice.

What services are provided?

  • Telephone interpreting.
  • Video on-demand interpreting.
  • Face-to-face interpreting.
  • British Sign Language interpreting (face-to-face and video).

Please note that all requests for face-to-face interpreting need to be booked in advance.

How can you book an interpreter?

Patients can ask for an interpreter when booking an appointment at their GP practice.

For more information, please see the patient leaflet below which is available in multiple languages.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we advise that, when possible, interpretation takes place via telephone or video.

Comments and complaints

If you have any feedback about the interpreting service you receive at your GP practice or wish to make a complaint please either contact your GP practice or email SEL CCG complaints team. This is in accordance with NHS regulations and guidance for management of complaints.

DA Languages ltd have provided languages services to practices across Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark since March 2020.

All interpreters hold appropriate interpreting qualifications and undergo rigorous assessments to ensure that they have the skills required to interpret professionally.

In addition to this, all of their interpreters must sign a Confidentiality Agreement and accept a comprehensive Code of Conduct before they are accepted to work for DA Languages.

Please remember the interpreter is completely impartial so will not offer advice or guidance and will interpret exactly what is said by both parties.

In 2018–19 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham commissioners reviewed interpreting and translation service for patients in GP surgeries and have worked together to make improvements to the service to ensure that it meets the needs of the local population.

We spoke to, and surveyed people, to understand their experience of interpreting services in GP surgeries and whether they were aware of the service.  We also spoke to GPs, nurses and receptionists as well. What people told us helped us to develop a new service. We appointed DA Languages Ltd which has provided the service since March 2020. 

You can read a copy of the report of the findings from the engagement in the review across Lewisham, Lambeth and Southwark. You can also read a report about the engagement that was carried out in LambethLewisham and Southwark, how we advertised the review and who we engaged with. 

English For more information about the service including a patient pledge please click here.

Arabicلمزيد من المعلومات حول الخدمة بما في ذلك تعهد المريض الرجاء .
الضغط هنا.

Cantonese 請點擊 此處  取得有關服務及對病人承諾嘅文件

Mandarin 请点击 此处  取得有关服务和对病人承诺的文件

Polish Więcej informacji o tym serwisie, w tym o zobowiązaniu wobec pacjentów, można znaleźć tutaj.

Portuguese Para mais informações sobre o serviço, incluindo sobre o comprometimento do paciente, favor fazer um clique aqui.

Somalian Macluumaad dheeraad ah oo adeegga ku saabsan oo uu ku jiro ballanqaadka bukaanka loo sameeyay guji halkaan.

Spanish Para más información acerca de este servicio incluyendo una garantía para el paciente, cliquea aquí.  

Turkish Hastaya vaatlerimiz dahil hizmetler hakkında daha geniş bilgi için burayı tıklayın.

Vietnamese Để được biết thêm thông tin về dịch vụ và đọc bản cam kết bệnh nhân xin vui lòng bấm vào đây

British Sign Language What people told us helped us to develop a new service and we have appointed DA Languages Ltd to deliver the service.    

To find out more about the improvements we have made, you can view this video which has been translated into British Sign Language. Subtitles are also available.  

For further information please email Yvonne Davies.