professionals in the NHS that cannot speak nor understand English properly.

Do you know what "Spend a penny means?"

5 live Investigates can reveal the problem is even bigger than that. We hear that the poor English of some overseas professionals is causing confusion, mistakes and bad treatment across the whole of the healthcare system in the UK.

We talk to patients and health insiders who say that some care workers, dentists and pharmacists - as well as doctors and nurses - cannot properly understand their patients.

People arriving from the European Union do not have to pass English language tests to register to work. The General Medical Council, and other healthcare bodies, say this needs to change.

It's up to employers to assess an individual's fluency before they are given an actual job, but not all of them do this.

And, 5 live Investigates finds, even some overseas NHS staff from outside Europe, who have passed language tests, struggle to communicate clearly.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b014qzck/5_live_Investigates_18_09_2011/

What do people think of this?

I think people have to learn English if they want to practice here, my dentist does has very poor English skills. It is very annoying. I have to ask him to repeat several times then feel awkward when I ask him to repeat something the 3/4 times.

I found the Asian nurse that has poor English skills herself and then criticises Europeans nurses hypocritical.

(edited 12 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

34253

It is a lack of understanding English among some doctors that worries me. I tell them things and they quite clearly don't understand what i'm saying half the time. Nurses seem to know English quite well, dealing with patients all day and all, however that just makes it seem like they are taking the piss all the more when they jibber away to each other in their own language (usually Fillipino).

Reply 2

Besakt

Original post by Elipsis

In some professions it may not matter as much but in healthcare when peoples have their life on the line then it becomes a whole lot more serious.

Reply 3

*absinthe*

I think everyone in this country should respect the language we speak and learn it before they come. I wouldn't even consider moving to Germany without having tried to learn German fluently.

Reply 4

james22

There are so many people who both want to be, and are capable of being doctors/other healthcare professionals in this country that you would have thought that we could make sure they can speak very good enligh without comprimising standards.

Reply 5

Squidgyness

I had a dentist that mumbled all the time... couldnt hear a word. He was also called C.C Saw lol.

My eye doctor is danish or something, he can speak perfect english but his accent is lilting, very hard to keep a straight face.... I am a horrible person lol :biggrin:

Reply 6

Bill_Gates

Original post by Squidgyness

haha hilarious!

Reply 7

the bear

Original post by Besakt

I found the Asian nurse that has poor English skills herself and then criticises Europeans nurses hypocritical.

your English skills are somewhat lacking too !!

:bear:

Reply 8

Nut.

Some of the problem might not be langauge-based but inflection or accent based.
I sometimes find it difficult to understand what an Indian doctor is saying in much the same way I can find it difficult to understand a Glaswegian. The words and the knowledge are there but the way they are expressing themselves is alien to me.

Of course sometimes an individual just doesn't know the language to an adequate level full stop.

Reply 9

the bear

it should be "who"... nurses are people.

:bear:

Reply 10

Besakt

Original post by the bear

your English skills are somewhat lacking too !!

:bear:

I'm not a healthcare professional.

Reply 11

RainbowDoll

I work for the NHS, part of my job is to ring different wards at different hospitals every day. You have NO IDEA how bad it is.
Half of the people who answer the phone to me cannot understand a word of english, I am from Newcastle but my accent isn't very strong and I have a sort of telephone voice where I tone it down a lot. But most chinese or indian staff who answer the phone can't understand a word I am saying, and don't even know basic medical terms! It's ridiculous and very dangerous IMO.

Reply 12

LurkerintheDark

Absolutely no immigrant should be able to come into the country if they cannot speak English FLUENTLEY. They should also be examined on how thick their accent is; I'm sorry but if I can't understand what a doctor's saying within three repeats of a damn sentence, I want to see another doctor. If this flies in the face of EU garbage I wan't David Cameron to march right on over the Brussles and give the Eurocrates a bloody good bashing. That's how I see it!

Reply 13

Sabertooth

I've seen so many GPs in the UK who can hardly speak a word of English. I've had to repeat myself several times then still they don't understand and do something completely different to what I asked. It's impossible to understand them too and usually I'm quite good with accents but I find myself asking them 3 or 4 times what they said and in the end giving up as I still have zero idea.

It's pretty ridiculous. Would make a good sketch show if it wasn't so serious.

Reply 14

MagicNMedicine

Original post by LurkerintheDark

Typical right wing ranter, too thick to use English properly himself.

Reply 15

LurkerintheDark

Original post by MagicNMedicine

Typical right wing ranter, too thick to use English properly himself.

Haha you've got me there. But my point still stands.

Reply 16

The Cornerstone

Original post by LurkerintheDark

Then it would be a good idea to kick you out then...

Reply 17

DontJudge

Original post by PendulumBoB

Surely if a doctor is unable to learn a second laguage, he is probably not clever enough to be let loose with patients.

They have learnt the second language. That is why they initially got the job.
Although their english may not be the Recieved Pronounciation, it is just about understood and they are much cheaper to employ. :biggrin:

Reply 18

Cuttlefish

Should be banned, anyone involved wiht patient-side healthcare should be able to speak the commonly accepted language of that country

Reply 19

PendulumBoB

Original post by DontJudge

They have learnt the second language. That is why they initially got the job.

Although their english may not be the Recieved Pronounciation, it is just about understood and they are much cheaper to employ. :biggrin:

But have they to an accepable standard?

I'd say cheaper to train (as the UK taxpayer did not have to fund their time at med school), as just because they are foriegn it does not mean that the NHS can pay them less.