HOSPITAL staff in Huddersfield are benefiting from a new guide to help non- English speaking patients.
The phrasebook, which was successfully piloted by the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, has been sent to accident and emergency units across the country.
The Emergency Multilingual Phrasebook, produced and updated by the British Red Cross Society, covers 60 of the most common medical questions and is translated into 36 languages.
It is hoped it will help improve the treatment that non-English speaking patients receive.
Although the book is not intended as a substitute for a trained interpreter it is hoped it will help assessment while an interpreter is found.
A spokesman for the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust said: "The book is extremely useful in helping A and E staff to understand the needs of non-English speakers.
"It is also improving the quality of information they receive."
The A and E matron at Bradford Royal Infirmary, Terry Woods, said: "The phrasebook has proved to be an invaluable communication tool for staff working in the department.
"It has been especially useful at the assessment desk, where patients arrive," he added.
