Kettering General Hospital NHS FT has introduced a new service as part of video consultations, offering non-English-speaking patients the option of a live translation service.
Part of the Healthcare Communications video consultation platform, the new service aims to improve accessibility and reduce costs of translation services.
The platform was adopted by Kettering General in August 2020, which now includes translation services in over 100 languages, in real-time.
Dione Rogers, chief nursing informatics officer at the trust, highlighted the functionality to provide a translation service as part of a consultation platform was key to their adoption.
She said: “At the start of the pandemic, we realised that we needed to procure a video consultation platform so that we could continue to see our patients and reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Translation functionality was a major selling point for us because inclusivity is a fundamental part of our organisational culture.”
“It is so much more empowering for a patient to be at the centre of their own appointment, in control of their own health, and to be able to speak with a clinician directly. A really big issue at the trust is being tackled and I can’t wait for staff and patients to begin realising the benefits.”
Kenny Bloxham, managing director, Healthcare Communications, added: “It has been a pleasure working with Kettering over the past few months to roll-out our video consultation platform, and we are delighted to be extending the use of our software to support a wider range of patients.”
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen the rapid adoption of technology across the NHS, and it can mean that some people get left behind. But we are committed to preventing digital exclusion so that patients from all demographics have equal access to high-quality care.”
