As a specialist language services provider in the health care sector around the globe, thebigword is pleased to be expanding its interpretation and translation service to GP practice patients across Surrey Heartlands.
The new service will allow patients the ability to access telephone, face to face and video remote interpretation services, and receive information in different formats like Easy Read or in Braille. GP surgeries will also be able to translate documents into different languages.
thebigword’s services will also support people who cannot communicate verbally, for example deaf people. Staff across GP practices will also receive training to help them support their patients.
Dr Charlotte Canniff, a local GP and Clinical Chair of North West Surrey Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “We want to make sure patients are able to communicate with their GP or health care professional and understand what they are being told about their care, which is crucial for people to live a happy and healthy life.
“We’re really pleased that thebigword will be delivering and managing this service which will make sure that people can get information in the way they need it, allowing them to make the right decision for their health.”
Matt Lowe, UK Sales Director at thebigword, said: “With a strong track record supporting health care providers around the globe including NHS Trusts in England and Wales, we are thrilled to now be offering our expertise and services to Surrey Heartlands CCGs.
Our services ensure that patients and their families are able to communicate accurately and effectively with Doctors and Nurses around the clock, ensuring that the medical needs of the patient are not compromised.”
The new service was developed in conjunction with the wider community, patients and organisations who support people to communicate (such as British Sign Language). After listening to people’s feedback the CCG’s were able to design a service to meet the needs of residents in the Surrey Heartlands area covering North West Surrey, Guildford and Waverley and Surrey Downs.
About thebigword
thebigword is the largest interpreting services provider in Europe and is among the top 15 language and translation companies in the world.
The company is the fastest growing interpreting centric Language Service Provider in the world with 28.33% growth in the last year.
It works with many of the world’s biggest and best-known brands and a growing number of large US and UK government organisations.
The group has 12 offices around the world, employs over 600 staff and a network of more than 15,000 linguists.
Every month, thebigword handles one million minutes of telephone interpreting, 17,000 face-to-face interpreting assignments and half a billion words of translation.
For more information, visit http://www.thebigword.com
About the Surrey Heartlands CCGs
Guildford and Waverley, North West Surrey and Surrey Downs Clinical Commissioning Groups are the three CCGs involved in the Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership, which covers a population of 850,000.
