Patients’ rights will no longer be lost in translation as leaflets are released by the NHS in more than 25 different languages for the first time ever.
The multi-lingual leaflets are the idea of the Mental Health Act Administration Team at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and are based on the Department of Health’s leaflets on a patient’s rights when detained under the Mental Health Act.
The team recognised the difficulties of many patients from different ethnic communities in understanding their rights and when to use them. With the support of the Development Team for the NHS East Midlands and mental health trusts around the country, money was raised to cover costs. The Northamptonshire team then began the ambitious task of producing the different documents, which will now be launched on 8th June at a dedicated event in Northampton.
The leaflets will not only be in languages ranging from Hebrew and Somali to Spanish and Urdu but will also accessible in British Sign Language (BSL). Additionally, a DVD containing details on 11 patients’ rights leaflets in 25 languages and BSL - with a person presenting a translation of the documents and the option to print the leaflets if watching the DVD on the computer - is now available.
Dean Repper, Director of Mental Health at NHS East Midlands said: “There is wide recognition of the difficulties and costs involved in getting patient rights leaflets in various languages. This is a fantastic achievement for the East Midlands and we are proud to be the first ever region in the country to offer this service to the diverse communities we serve.”
Beth Brand, Mental Health Act Manager for Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The availability of leaflets only in English and Welsh has been a major concern for many service users from ethnic communities as it has lead to them not having immediate access to rights. With the introduction of these leaflets we hope to help not only our patients but patients all over the country put these fears to rest.”
Access to the leaflets will be web-based and free. It is likely that every NHS and independent provider of mental health services that detain people under the Act will be using them in the future with Northamptonshire leading the way.
