For some patients, language can be a barrier to accessing health care.
To ensure high-quality care for all patients regardless of their English language abilities, it’s important that staff working in primary healthcare practices know how to engage and work with interpreters.
Free interpreting services are available to some service providers.
More detailed information is available in our Guide to working with interpreters.
It is best practice to ask all new patients what their language preferences are. If a patient does not speak English (and you do not speak their language fluently), it is recommended that you use a qualified interpreter.
Using an interpreter is particularly important when:
Clinical benefits of using an interpreter include improved patient understanding, increased patient safety, a more efficient and accurate diagnosis, and fewer unnecessary tests and procedures.
Family members or friends should not be used to interpret because they:
Similarly, patients may not wish to discuss certain information in front of a family member or friend.
A family member or friend may help with simple day-to-day communication when the patient is happy with this.
The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) is provided by the Australian Government for patients who do not speak English.
TIS National (131 450) can provide interpreting services by phone, video, and in person. Phone interpreting is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Video and in-person interpreting should be pre-booked. It’s also advisable to pre-book phone interpreting in the case of less common languages.
Medical practitioners (GPs, nurse practitioners and approved medical specialists), community pharmacies and some allied health professionals in certain areas can access the Free Interpreting Service (through TIS National) when delivering Medicare rebatable services in private practice.
Practice support staff working with a private medical practitioner registered with TIS National can also access the service using the same client code.
If you are not eligible for any free interpreting services, you can still engage interpreting services for a fee.
The Medical Practitioner and Pharmacy Priority Line (1300 131 450) provides priority access to TIS National for private medical practitioners (and their support staff) and pharmacies.
A phone interpreter will usually be provided within a few minutes for common community languages.
Primary Health Tasmania resources:
TIS National videos: