Often, non-English speaking patients rely on family members to understand their care. Find out how this can affect patient outcomes, care and experience...
During Patient Experience Week, we’re reminded that high-quality care goes beyond clinical outcomes - it’s about how patients feel, how well they’re understood, and whether they’re able to participate fully in their own care.
For patients with limited English proficiency, communication is at the heart of that experience. Yet across healthcare settings, one practice still persists: relying on family members or friends to interpret.
While this may seem convenient or even compassionate, it can significantly compromise patient experience, safety, and outcomes.
1) It undermines patient dignity and independence
Patients deserve to speak for themselves.
When a family member steps in as an interpreter, the patient’s voice can become filtered, summarised, or even replaced entirely. This can make patients feel excluded from conversations about their own health, particularly in sensitive or complex situations.
Professional interpreters are trained to facilitate direct communication – ensuring the patient remains at the centre of every interaction.
2) It introduces risk and inaccuracy
Healthcare communication is nuanced and often complex. Misinterpretation – whether intentional or accidental, can lead to:
Family members are rarely equipped with the linguistic or medical knowledge required to interpret accurately. Even well-meaning relatives may simplify, omit, or alter information without realising the consequences.
3) It creates ethical and emotional strain
Asking a relative to interpret can place a significant emotional burden on them – especially when conversations involve serious diagnoses, end-of-life care, or complex procedures.
Children are particularly vulnerable in these situations. Expecting a child to interpret adult medical information can be distressing and inappropriate, potentially impacting their wellbeing.
Patients may also feel unable to speak openly in front of family members, particularly when discussing:
This can prevent patients from sharing critical information, directly affecting both experience and outcomes.
4) It can compromise confidentiality
Confidentiality is a cornerstone of patient trust.
Using a family member as an interpreter means the patient has limited control over who hears their personal health information. This can lead to discomfort, withheld information, or even avoidance of care altogether.
Professional interpreters are bound by strict confidentiality standards, helping to create a safe and trusted environment for patients.
5) It creates inequality in care
At its core, relying on informal interpreting creates a two-tier system.
Patients who speak English fluently can communicate directly with clinicians, ask questions freely, and fully understand their care. Patients who rely on family members do not have the same level of access or autonomy.
This directly impacts patient experience, contributing to:
Providing professional interpreting services is not just best practice - it’s essential for equitable, person-centred care.
Putting patient experience first
Improving patient experience means removing barriers, not working around them.
Professional interpreters enable:
During Patient Experience Week, it’s worth reflecting on how communication shapes every interaction. When patients are truly heard – in their own language – their experience improves, and so does the quality of care.