Overview
A prominent UK healthcare organisation, dedicated to comprehensive physical and mental health services, faced a critical challenge: providing immediate and equitable care for a diverse patient population. With a community including a wide array of non-native English speakers and Deaf individuals, the provider required an agile and expert language partner to eliminate communication barriers and uphold its commitment to inclusive healthcare.
The Challenge
In a fast-paced clinical environment, delays in communication directly impact patient safety and outcomes. The organisation found that traditional, pre-booked interpreting could not meet the urgent, on-the-spot needs of its teams.
Key challenges included:
- Immediate Access: Clinicians required instant access to interpreters during unscheduled patient interactions and emergencies, where pre-booking was not feasible.
- Rare Language Requirements: Sourcing qualified interpreters for less common languages at short notice was a consistent operational difficulty, leading to potential delays in patient care.
- Service Efficiency: The provider needed a solution that was not only clinically effective but also operationally efficient, ensuring interpreter availability aligned with peak demand to reduce patient waiting times.
The Solution: A Partnership with THG Fluently
While THG Fluently provides a complete suite of translation and interpretation services, the solution centred on our innovative on-demand platforms. We deployed a technology-driven approach that revolutionised their access to language support.
The solution included:
- On-Demand Telephone & Video Interpreting: We provided a state-of-the-art system giving clinicians instant access to qualified medical interpreters via telephone and secure video. This empowered staff to connect with an interpreter in seconds, directly from the point of care.
- Extensive Language Coverage: Our on-demand platform provides access to a vast network of vetted interpreters. This enabled the provider to instantly connect with specialists in over 80 languages last year, including rare languages that were previously difficult to source.
- Data-Driven Availability Tracking: By closely tracking usage patterns, we strategically aligned interpreter availability with peak demand hours. This data-driven approach ensured that interpreter connection times were minimised, and service levels remained consistently high.
The Results
The implementation of THG Fluently’s on-demand solutions delivered significant, measurable improvements in efficiency, access, and quality of care.
- Drastically Reduced Connection Times: The average time to connect with a qualified interpreter was reduced by 40%, eliminating critical delays.
- Enhanced Language Accessibility: Fulfilment rates across identified rare languages increased to 96%+, ensuring diverse patient needs were met without delay.
- Optimised Operational Efficiency: By aligning interpreter availability with usage patterns, the provider saw a 35% improvement in call completed during peak hours.
- Improved Quality of Care: Instant, reliable communication led to more effective consultations, enhanced diagnostic accuracy, and greater patient safety.
Why THG Fluently?
THG Fluently is more than a language provider; we are a strategic partner in innovation. Our strength lies in leveraging technology to solve real-world healthcare challenges. Our deep understanding of the medical field, combined with data-driven service models and rigorous quality standards, makes us the ideal choice for any healthcare provider looking to build a more responsive, efficient, and equitable service.