Thousands of people living in Scotland are to get a new tool to help understand how the health service works.
Today (24th February) sees the launch of a new multi-lingual guide to NHS services making it easier for people to get the right service when they need it. The easily understood resource is being made available online and as a DVD across Scotland to help people who are new to Scotland, people whose first language is not English, and people with low literacy.
With a voice-over in 16 languages, including English, as well as a British Sign Language option, users are given an uncomplicated introduction to the NHS and can learn how to get help from different professionals including family doctors, dentists, opticians and pharmacists.
Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon said:
“It is important for our health service to be innovative in the way we address the needs of all patients across Scotland.
“Our aim is to put patients at the heart of the NHS and make them partners in their own care. Initiatives like this will help us achieve this.
“Good patient care depends on understanding patients’ needs, and effective communication is key to this. It is important that patients know how to get the services they need, and are encouraged to get the right care at the right time.”
The on-line videos and DVD use a mixture of filmed footage of the NHS in action and five case studies telling the stories of five different patients and their families. There is extensive use of graphics and new icons have been developed for each section of film. All of the content has been tested with the target audience to ensure that it effectively meets their information needs.
Marieke Dwarshuis, Director of Consumer Focus Scotland, added:
“We are very pleased to have led the process of developing this resource for users of the health service in Scotland.
“Understanding the range of services that are available from the NHS is very important for patients and this resource will help people from a range of backgrounds to access the care they need.
“Providing people with clear, accurate and up to date information about their health rights will empower them to use the NHS when they need to, and help them understand how the NHS works.”
Riaz Ahmed Hashmi, an experienced interpreter, welcomed the initiative:
“There are some literacy problems, for instance, amongst Urdu speakers. They can’t read but they can understand and that’s the good thing about this new resource. I have spent 35 years translating text for health publicity but this resource is more appealing to people and it will be very useful for newcomers.
“This new DVD is very helpful in explaining what services are available through the NHS in Scotland. It is important for anyone who does not have English as their first language to appreciate their rights, for example, in terms of interpreters, as well to have an awareness of the range of health services available to them.”
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Notes for Editors
The resource has been produced for the NHS by Health Rights Information Scotland, a project based at Consumer Focus Scotland, with funding from the Scottish Government.
It will be available on-line at www.howtousethenhs.com and as a free DVD by calling the NHS helpline on 0800 22 44 88.
The DVD outlines the main services provided by the NHS in local communities, including:
- GP services
- Dentists
- Pharmacies
- Opticians
- Out of hours care
- Other services based in the community, including public health nurses, sexual health services and mental health services
The languages used are Arabic, Bengali, British Sign Language, Cantonese, English, Farsi, French, Gaelic, Korean, Kurdish Sorani, Mandarin, Polish, Punjabi, Somali, Tigrinya, Turkish and Urdu.
Contact
For more information or to interview a member of the project team, please call Ryan Norton, Communications Manager with Consumer Focus Scotland, on 0141 227 1852 (including out of hours)