Multilingualism

Prompt: How do local GP practices in Wales support patients whose main language is not English or Welsh? Look into the communication services offered by a local GP practice.

Task Overview

You will look into how Welsh GP practices communicate with people who speak neither English nor Welsh, including refugees, asylum seekers, migrant families, and other multilingual patients. Your goal is to explore what services exist, how accessible they are, and how well practices follow Welsh national communication standards.

You’ll look at:

- Interpreter and translation services
- How language needs are recorded and “flagged”
- Use of accessible formats
- Whether services meet Welsh accessibility standards
- How clear, visible, and easy‑to‑find language support is on GP websites or practice leaflets

To get you started:

These official Welsh sources explain the legal duties, translation systems, and communication standards GP practices must follow.

1. Choose a Local GP Practice Website in Wales

Pick a surgery in your area (e.g., Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Wrexham).
Look for:

Patient leaflets
Accessibility statements
Appointments page
Translation/interpreter information
Language support for migrants or refugees

Write down the practice you chose.

2. Look for Communication Tools

Check if the practice provides:

Telephone interpreter services
Face‑to‑face interpreters
Translation of key pages (e.g., appointment booking)
Translated leaflets
Information for asylum seekers or migrant communities
Easy‑read versions for low‑literacy patients

Compare what they offer to what the Welsh Government requires.

3. Analyse How Visible the Support Is

Ask:

Is translation support easy to find on the website?
Is multilingual information clear, or buried in small print?
Is there any dedicated advice for new arrivals to Wales?

If there is nothing, that is an important finding — many practices are still not compliant.

4. Compare with Welsh‑English Requirements

NHS Wales must provide bilingual Welsh‑English information as standard.

Use this as a benchmark to judge how (or whether) support extends to other languages. Ask:

Does your practice only meet Welsh requirements?
Does it treat other languages less favourably, even though the standards include them?

5. Write a Short Evaluation

Summarise:

What language support your practice offers
Whether it meets national standards
What is missing (e.g., translated leaflets, interpreter visibility, signposting)
How a patient who speaks neither English nor Welsh might feel navigating the practice

6. Optional Extension

Compare two GP practices:

One in a multilingual urban area
One in a rural community

See if services differ.