Interpreting Services

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is committed to ensure that everyone can access our services. Communication support is available for patients to enable our healthcare staff to provide safe and effective patient care. This is for all patients where English is not their first language and may need communication support in a health setting. This also includes people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or deafblind.

We have a range of services, and resources to support patients who require an interpreting service. We have our own in-house interpreters, sessional interpreters for spoken and sign language support, and a telephone interpreting service.

Phone: 0141 347 8811

Email: interpretingservices@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Telephone Interpreting

Please note that the contact number and all codes for telephone interpreting are changing from 1^st April 2023

Telephone interpreting should now be used for all appointments under 46 minutes. This applies to all short appointments unless the patient has additional vulnerabilities, such as a cognitive impairment or hearing loss, or is a child over 2 years old.

DA Languages is our provider for telephone interpreting and can be accessed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. You can contact the service by calling or via the app.

You will need a 6-digit department PIN for telephone interpreting and a one-off access code for the mobile app. If you do not yet know your new code:

• Acute sites
• All other sites – email: interpretingservice@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Telephone

• Call: 0330 088 2443

Enter your 6-digit department PIN followed by the # key

Enter the 3-digit language code – download the full list

Press 1 for any interpreter, 2 for a male or 3 for a female interpreter

Tell the interpreter if your patient is with you, or if you need to contact the patient on another number. To call your patient, dial 9 followed by their phone number.

If the patient is with you, use your speaker phone to give the interpreter your first question/statement

Let the patient and interpreter know when you are finished the conversation

Leave feedback on interpreter at the end of the call. You will have 8 seconds to do this. From 1 (lowest rating) to 5 (highest rating).

If you have any issues, please press # at any time to connect to the operator.

Mobile App

Download the ILClient App free from your app store

Follow the short tutorial

Complete initial registration by clicking on ‘Register’. Registration is only required once per mobile device.

As part of the one off registration enter your name, email, mobile telephone number, Site Access Code and your 6-digit department PIN.

Log in to the App by entering your department PIN.

Once registered, you will remain logged in and when the App is opened, you will be always taken to the Interpreter Screen.

You can select preferred languages from the Favourite Language screen. Languages can be added or removed at any time from the Languages Screen. Access via the languages icon shown at the bottom of the screen.

Selects the language from the list and click the ‘Dial Interpreter’ button.

It is the responsibility of NHSGGC staff to provide interpreting support for patients using any of our healthcare services.

Telephone Interpreting

Please use telephone interpreting for all appointments under 46 minutes. This applies to all short appointments unless the patient has additional vulnerabilities, such as cognitive impairment or hearing loss, or is a child over 2 years old.

You can access telephone interpreting by calling or using the app.

Call: 0330 088 2443

Enter your 6-digit department PIN followed by the # key

Enter the 3-digit language code – download the full list

Press 1 for any interpreter, 2 for a male or 3 for a female interpreter

Tell the interpreter if your patient is with you, or if you need to contact the patient on another number. To call your patient, dial 9 followed by their phone number.

If the patient is with you, use your speaker phone to give the interpreter your first question/statement

Let the patient and interpreter know when you are finished the conversation

Leave feedback on interpreter at the end of the call. You will have 8 seconds to do this. From 1 (lowest rating) to 5 (highest rating).

If you have any issues, please press # at any time to connect to the operator.

Mobile App

Download the ILClient App free from your app store

Follow the short tutorial

Complete initial registration by clicking on ‘Register’. Registration is only required once per mobile device.

As part of the one off registration enter your name, email, mobile telephone number, Site Access Code and your 6-digit department PIN.

Log in to the App by entering your department PIN.

Once registered, you will remain logged in and when the App is opened, you will be always taken to the Interpreter Screen.

You can select preferred languages from the Favourite Language screen. Languages can be added or removed at any time from the Languages Screen. Access via the languages icon shown at the bottom of the screen.

Selects the language from the list and click the ‘Dial Interpreter’ button.

Face to Face Interpreting for Spoken Language or British Sign Language (BSL)

For appointments that contain very complex information, or where a patient is receiving bad news, face to face interpreters may be available. 

To request a face to face interpreter please click here

For same day/next day requests and cancellations please call 0141 347 8811.

The phone lines are open from 8.00am – 6.00pm Monday to Friday and 8.00am – 4.00pm Saturday and Sunday.

Out of hours

Face to face spoken 

Global Languages – 0141 429 3429

Face to Face BSL

Deaf Services Lanarkshire – 01236 604 808 and/or

Sign Language Interactions – 0333 344 7712

British Sign Language (BSL) Online Interpreting Service                                                                               

This online service allows you to communicate with your Deaf patients while waiting for a face to face interpreter to arrive, or during hospital stays when an interpreter is not always present.

Deafblind Communicators

Contact Deafblind Scotland on 0141 777 6111 (9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday)

Out of Hours, call 07715 421 388

Note takers and lip speaker for those who are hard of hearing can also be booked through the interpreting service.

We have a legal obligation to ensure that all patients are communicated with in a way they understand and that best meets their needs, including the use of accessible formats. Consider your target audience to ensure that the needs of equality groups have been taken into consideration.

The Equality and Human Rights Team (EHRT) hold the central budget for translations and other accessible formats. To request information in an alternative format, please download and complete the form and submit for approval (cleartoall@ggc.scot.nhs.uk).

Click here for: Requests For Translations And Accessible Formats Form

Urgent requests (within 4 days), such as appointment letters, clinical instructions or health records for a patient in active care, should be emailed directly to the EHRT (nuzhat.mirza@ggc.scot.nhs.uk). This form does not need to be completed for urgent requests.

We only translate information that has been produced by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. If you need a translated version of a charity or Public Health Scotland publication, please indicate this on the form.

Please note, interpreters should be used to communicate information which is normally given verbally to English speaking patients; translated materials are for written materials only.

You can get advice on translation and accessible formats from the NHSGGC Equalities and Human Rights Team (0141 201 4560) or email: cleartoall@ggc.scot.nhs.uk.

It is the responsibility of NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde staff to provide a BSL interpreter for Deaf patients attending any healthcare appointment.

Pre Planned Appointments

For all pre-planned appointments, please contact the interpreting services on 0141 347 8811. We will provide you with a booking reference number (BRN).  

Accident and Emergency / Out Of Hours   

To book a face to face interpreter for unplanned visits or out of hours please contact one of the following agencies – 

Face to Face BSL

Deaf Services Lanarkshire – 01236 604 808 and/or

Sign Language Interactions – 0333 344 7712

N.B We also provide an online interpreting service, enabling the patient to communicate with staff while waiting for a face to face interpreter to arrive.

The online service means that in an emergency, staff can quickly link up to an interpreter at any time – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – and communicate with their patient.

It can also be used during hospital stays, when an interpreter is not available.

BSL Online is accessed through special laptops which come ready to use with simple instructions. Staff should contact the relevant departments to access the service.

For remote BSL interpreting please download the SignVideo app

Face to face spoken 

Global Languages – 0141 429 3429

Face to Face BSL

Deaf Services Lanarkshire – 01236 604 808 and/or

Sign Language Interactions – 0333 344 7712

Interpreting newsletter 29/02/24

Training Opportunity – How to Use the NHSGGC Interpreting Service.

In response to staff requests, further dates are now available for training sessions on How to Use the NHSGGC Interpreting Service.

It is the responsibility of NHSGGC staff to arrange interpreting support for patients using any of our healthcare services. It is therefore vital that staff know how to access the support available.

Our interpreting service provides a range of services and resources for patients whose first language is not English and who may need communication support in a health setting. Support is also available for patients who are Deaf, hard of hearing, blind or deafblind.

Training includes information on: how to use telephone interpreting; accessing BSL Online interpreting; booking face to face interpreters, requesting translations and direct patient access to telephone interpreting.

Sessions are being run via Microsoft Teams and dates are available from January onwards. To register or to find out more, please go to our web page.

Get in Touch

We are available to answer your calls from 8.00am to 8.30pm every day of the week on 0141 347 8811

Pre booked video remote interpreting

Pre booked video remote interpreting allows you to access spoken language interpreters via a video call. It can be used for short notice appointments, emergencies and for rare languages. Telephone interpreting is still NHS GGC’s preferred primary interpreting method.

Working with a video interpreter (PDF Download)

Raising a pre-booked VRI booking (PDF Download)

To book video remote interpreting

· Reach out to Ebony-Mae.Julienne@dalanguages.co.uk to get access to the DA Link portal
· Log onto DA Link portal – DA Link | Public | List (dalanguages.co.uk) either with an individual or team log in.
· Follow the Guidance provided in the attachments or reach out for further assistance!
· For updates on your VRI bookings, please contact DAL VRI Appointments – dalvriappointments@dalanguages.co.uk
· If any team requires initial or further training on the portal, please reach out directly to Ebony-Mae.Julienne@dalanguages.co.uk

We now have the capacity to offer Attend Anywhere (Near Me) video interpreting appointments in a variety of different languages in scenarios where telephone interpreting and face to face appointments are not appropriate.

If you would like to book an Attend Anywhere appointment please email interpretingservices@ggc.scot.nhs.uk giving us the following information:- Your name, department, contact details, Attend Anywhere waiting area link, time and date of appointment, expected duration of appointment and the name of the clinician and patient.

On the day of the appointment the interpreter will be available in the waiting area and will identify themselves as “interpreter” and should be invited into the call prior to the patient.

For more information about Attend Anywhere appointments please do not hesitate to contact the interpreting department on 0141 347 8811.

Please find below the links to additional resources:

• Interpreting Policy (Updated June 2023)
• How to Access Interpreting Support 
• Language Identification Pocket Card
• Language Identification Poster
• Tent Card

Patients can now access the telephone interpreting service to contact any NHSGGC service.

For example, patients can use the telephone interpreting service to make an appointment with their GP, discuss medications with their Pharmacy, book a Maternity appointment or contact NHS 24.

An information leaflet is available in multiple languages. It explains how to use the service by calling or by using a mobile app. It provides codes specific to NHSGGC services so can only be used for this purpose.

• Albanian
• Amharic
• Arabic
• Bengali
• Bulgarian
• Cantonese
• Czech
• Dari
• Farsi
• French
• Georgian
• Greek
• Hindi
• Hungarian
• Italian
• Krio
• Kurdish Sorani
• Latvian
• Lingala
• Lithuanian
• Mandarin
• Oromo
• Pashto
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Punjabi
• Romanian
• Russian
• Sinhalese
• Slovak
• Somali
• Spanish
• Swahili
• Tamil
• Tigrinya
• Turkish
• Ukrainian
• Urdu
• Vietnamese
• Yoruba

Location

NHSGGC Staffbank
Dalnair Street
West Glasgow ACH
Yorkhill Glasgow
G3 8SJ

Opening Hours

• Monday to Sunday, 8.00am to 4.00pm
• Closed Christmas Day and New Year Day

Interpreting Services Contact Numbers

Contact Centre

Telephone: 0141 347 8811

Email: INTERPRETINGSERVICE@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Service Manager

Neil McGhie
Email: neil.mcghie@nhs.scot

Engagement Development Specialist

Nuzhat Mirza
Email: nuzhat.mirza@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

If you wish to raise any issues experienced with the interpreting services provided by DA Languages to NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, please complete appropriate form below:

Interpreter complaint form