Examine Communication in Care Settings

by aisha_issaoutlookcom (student)

Communication in Care Setting

Communication is imparting or exchanging of information through speaking, writing, eye contact and body language. Communicating effectively is important to care, practitioner because they use different forms of communication during their working days. These include the verbal communication skills of talking and listening, and various forms of non-verbal communication, such as touch, eye contact and facial expression. A care practitioner needs to utilise both of these forms of communication when they, give or receive information about the care that is being provided for an individual. The individual can be; a patient in the hospital, families from a deprived background, children between the age of 0-8, elderly, and someone seeking emotional or social support. They would need to carry out a complete evaluation of a singular's care needs. Verbal communication happens when one individual talks and someone else listens. Care practitioners require a range of verbal communication skills to respond to questions in order to find out about an individual’s problems, break bad news and provide support to others dealing with problems and complaints.

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Oral Communication

Oral communication is exchanging of information from the mouth. This includes individuals conversing with each other directly face-to-face or indirectly by telephonic. Oral communication is endorsed when a direct interaction is required and when the communication matter is brief. Communicating face-to-face is vital in building trust and a bond. This is significant for care practitioners because they would need to establish a trust with the service users. A care practitioner would need to get important messages across to a service user, so they would need to use oral communication effectively in order for the service user to comprehend. Doctors and nurses would need to inform patients about illnesses, advice and help with medications. This would mean that care practitioners would need to use oral communication to their advantage when explaining the proper use of medication, comforting or calming a service user.

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Advantages of Oral Communication

One advantage to oral communication is that it is very easy and simple and can provide feedback. This meaning that the conversation would be quick without unnecessary delays. For example, a psychologist or therapist can benefit from this advantage because often time is limited for them. There is also more flexibility in oral communication; different aspects can be discussed. If time is limited and there is an urgent matter that needs to be resolved; it may be best to have a face-to-face or telephone conversation. These can be discussing appointments. A psychologist and therapist could discuss more than one thing with the service user, which could settle disagreement or misunderstandings the service user might have.

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Another advantage of oral communication is that it is the best communication method for transferring private and confidential information. This would benefit care practitioners, such as nursery nurses because they would need to exchange information about a child’s behaviour, if necessary, in a quick and efficient way to other colleagues, social worker or parents. This is because oral communication has a high level of transparency due to being interpersonal which means that the nursery nurse would communicate with the colleagues, social worker and parents face-to-face. The nursery nurse can also get an indication if the person understands what they implying and therefore, oral communication gives the chance to elaborate any misunderstandings or confusions.

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Lastly, oral communication can benefit teamwork. This advantage would benefit nurses and doctors because they would be able to communicate with each other effectively about service users. Nurses and doctors in hospitals, GPs and private institutions work to together collectively in providing healthcare to all service users. Oral communication is that it is a great way to endorse employee morale and preserve energy and enthusiasm within a team. Therefore, oral communication would be saving valuable time because feedback would be spontaneous and if disputes or issues raise then it can be dealt by talking it out.

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Disadvantage of Oral Communication

The first disadvantage of oral communication is that there no record. This can make messages difficult to obtain and preserve in the future. Information should be conserved orally and stored either written or computerised communication. This is because it hard to recall information that has to be spoken compared to information is written. For example, a GP would use written communication when noting down important information about a service user’s health. This is beneficial for the GP because they can refer to the paper. It would be ineffective and not efficient to rely on oral communication when it is regarding a service user’s health.

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Another disadvantage of oral communication is that it is unsuitable for lengthy information. This is because if a care practitioner was to inform a service user vital information about their treatment options, oral communication would not be suitable. Oral communication is appropriate only for oral transmission of information. Therefore, if the care practitioner was to inform a service user about four treatment options in detail, there is a problem with the information being forgotten, misinterpret or misheard. This would cause distortion of meaning due to the oral message not being imprinted in the service user’s brain, which causes confusion would arise.

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The last disadvantage of oral communication is confused speech. A service user or care practitioner might fail to understand each other due to mannerism or indistinct pronunciation. This can cause confusion between the service user and care practitioner. This would further, effect the care being provided by the care practitioner due to a barrier of confusion.

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Examples of How People are Valued and Supported in Different Care Settings

A social worker explaining a care plan to an elderly service user with a hearing impairment is an example to show how effective oral communication actually can be in a situation. A care plan is an agreement between a service user and care practitioners. It can be in the form of a written document or service user’s notes, such as journal entry. The social worker would need to make sure that the elderly service user’s hearing aid is working in order for oral communication to be effective. When the social worker is constructing a care plan to best suit the elderly service user, it would benefit them if they were informed of ways that might help the service user. The best solution of gathering this information would be the elderly service user conserving with the social worker orally because it would be simple and quick. This would prevent delays and it won’t be difficult for the elderly service user. The social worker consulting the elderly service user can make them feel respected, empowered and valued. The elderly service user can express them easily due to being part of the discussion.

If the social was to construct the care plan without consulting the service user, it can make the service user feel unworthy and this would not develop the relationship due to the service user seeing the doctor as the one that can provide care without them. This would not empower the service user. Oral communication can also clear misunderstandings and disagreement the elderly service user and the social worker may have about the care plan. This would also make the elderly service user feel more appreciated because they feel that they are being taken seriously by the social worker.

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Another example to show the effectiveness of oral communication would be a nursery practitioner informing a child that they need to stop running indoors in a nursery setting. Children tend to be disobedient and need an adult representative to tell them what is wrong and right. Oral communication would support the child that is running to understand that it is dangerous indoors. Therefore, the nursery practitioner would need to inform the child orally because it would be a quicker and more efficient way to prevent accidents. Children in nurseries haven’t expanded their vocabulary, so written communication would not be effective in getting a message across. They would understand if a nursery practitioner informed them orally because children would respond their understanding quicker. The child can feel treasured due to the nursery practitioner taking their safety seriously. However, the child can be annoyed and frustrated at the nursery practitioner. In this case, oral communication would help aid them in expressing themselves. They may have a reason that can justify them running indoors.

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A third example would be a General Practitioner (GP) explaining treatment options to a patient. When an important matter is to be discussed a service user’s treatment, a GP would benefit delivering the message orally. This is because the service user can clear any doubts or misunderstanding they may have about the treatment or could ask the GP to elaborate the options. The service user would feel valued due to being able to express their opinions and worries. The GP could also explain the treatment more than once and they could read the facial expression of the service user. This could help them indicate the understanding of the service user. Further, supporting the communication between the service user and the GP because they are able to get a sense of understanding and share information orally. This would the service user come to a conclusion on their treatment. For example, if the service user had an opioid addiction, which is a chronic medical condition that changes the brain susceptible for people. This is because it develops a narcotic addiction which causes the escape of cycle of detox and relapse to be a long-term process. This can overwhelming and hard to understand for some service users and therefore if the GP explained the treatments and cause of the addiction to the service user they can make their decisions, which would make them feel valued and empowered by the GP.

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Lastly, a nurse obtaining important medical information from a patient because they prefer to inform the service user orally would demonstrate the effectiveness of oral communication. This is because it would be easier to inform the service user gently and elaborate information that they may not fully understand. This may make the service user feel at ease because they would have the conservation with the nurse and share their thoughts and feelings. It would also make the service user feel appreciated. The service user feeling appreciated can make them share information about their health to the nurse without feeling embarrassed because they know that their health is being taken seriously. Therefore, the nurse would benefit using oral communication since they could have a depth conversation. Oral communication would strengthen the relationship between the service user, nurse and the healthcare institute because the service user consulting face-to-face rather than a letter from the postage.

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Written Communication

Written communication is when information is passed by writing. Written records are key for communicating formal information that should be studied at a future date. When people recall a conversation they have had, they will probably miss out or change some information. Written reports are much more eternal and, if they are precise, they may be profitable later on. A care practitioner would use written communication when taking important notes about a service user. This is essential because sometimes information that isn’t written is hard to recall. The service user can also take their own notes on what the care practitioner had said about their healthcare, this is in case the service user forgets what they have talked about them and the care practitioner. Doctors and nurses use written communication when assisting service user because they see more one service user, so keeping track may be difficult.

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Advantages of Written Communication

There are several advantages to written communication to care practitioners. The first advantage is that written communication can be used as a reference. Doctors can benefit from this advantage because they can use a reference made by another doctor when prescribing a service user medication or advising them on treatment options.

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Another advantage is that written communication is easy to verify. This meaning that information can be confirmed quicker. Social workers would benefit from this because they would often need information regarding a service user to be verified. An example would be a child in foster care being fostered. The social worker would need to conduct paperwork in order for the child to be fostered, thus needing the paperwork to be verified. There is less distortion with written communication. This meaning that the information would not be alternated because the information is written, so there would be fewer mistakes. This advantage would best suit care practitioners and service users because they would be able to communicate without a lot of mistakes and they can always refer to what was written.

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The last advantage of written communication is that it can make the communication between the service user and care practitioner effective because it is the most dependable communication type due to being presented in a written format. Therefore, a service user and care practitioner can refer and use the written information as an example of the care being provided by the healthcare institute. For example, if a dietician was to write nutrition plan for a service user with diabetes; the service user can use it as a guide of what food they can eat to improve their health. This is beneficial because not a lot of service users with diabetes know the sort of food to eat to improve their health. The dietician can also give a sample menu for the service user to take home. The service user can also stick it on their refrigerator. This would support the service user in eating the right food and proportion for their health.

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Disadvantage of Written Communication

The first disadvantage of written communication is the fact that it is useless for illiterate people. A service user that cannot read would not benefit from written communication because they would not understand what the information is clarified. This causes the care being provided with the healthcare institute in being ineffective for the service user. The more appropriate communication type for this situation would be oral communication. The care practitioner can read and explain to the service user what the information on the paper or leaflet is implying.

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Another disadvantage of written communication is that approval of written documents or files of service user can take time. This is because written information about a service user is often written in depth by a care practitioner and therefore, it can take the time to analyse the information, which would prolong the approval. For example, a GP transferring information about a service user to the hospital. The hospital consultant would take time analysing the information being provided before making their discussion regarding the service user.

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The last advantage of written communication is that the written information might contain complex words. This would be a disadvantage for service user that are unfamiliar with the particular words. This can affect the message that the care practitioner is trying to inform the service user. This would cause a barrier of confusion between the service user and care practitioner because the aim of the care practitioner is clearly presented and therefore, the service user would not interpret the information.

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Examples of How People are Valued and Supported in Different Care Settings

An example to show the effectiveness of written communication would be a social worker providing professionals involved in the service user’s care the final written version of the care plan that they had all agreed upon. This would be a guideline for the service user and a way for the social worker to refer to the care plan agreed. Writing a care plan would be more suitable because it can be difficult to recall a plan after a period of time, so it would be beneficial for the service user and social worker to refer to the care plan. The care plan can be amended if the service user does not like it or believes that they are able to fulfil it. In this situation, the social worker would draught a new care plan and discuss the changes made to the service user. This would make the service user more attentiveness because they would feel valued and respected due to the social worker consulting them on the care plan. The service user can also make their own notes regarding the care plan. This would support the service user in making their own decisions.

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Another example to demonstrate the usefulness of written communication to a care practitioner is a nursery practitioner writing a progress report to share with parents. Progress reports are often written every term and show parents the achievement their children had made in the nursery. It is essential for the nursery practitioner to write the parents because it would show the impact the nursery had on their child’s development, what they child struggle on and the behaviour of their child. If a nursery practitioner does not provide a writing progress sheet to the parents it can seem that the nursery practitioner is unorganised and this would cause the parents to feel disrespected and not valued. Progress sheet can support the relationship between the parents and the nursery practitioner because it enables the parent to have a visual aid of the nursery practitioner has to say about their child. It would show the parents that the nursery practitioner is professional and is dedicated to caring for their child in the nursery.

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A GP has sent a letter to a patient’s house explaining details of their referral to the hospital is an example to show the effectiveness of written communication. A GP sending a letter would be more useful because it would be detailed about the referral to the hospital and the service user can refer to it multiple times. Written communication in this context would be more accurate and an efficient way for the service user to collect more information. The service user would be provided more information on the hospital recommend for them by the GP. However, letters take a while to arrive at their location. So it is not a quick way to communicate with a service user, but since letters can provide a mass of information. It would be easier for the GP to get a message across to the service user with detail content. This can stratify the service user in feeling respected and valued because they are being contacted and therefore they feel involved and not excluded. With a written letter the service user can make references and re-read it multiple times in order to understand the content in depth.

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The final example I would discuss is hospital leaflets that are available and contain information on different types of treatments for different illnesses. Leaflets provide brief information in a small place, which is often written to persuade the reader to go one direction. In this case, the hospital practitioner would hand the leaflets to the service users with brief information regarding illnesses and treatments. This would be a quick way to briefly inform the service user in order to get a small understanding of the illnesses and treatments before seeing a health and social care practitioner. This would give the service user and understanding and would already let them make their own judgements before gathering more information. It can also make them feel appreciated and not an outsider because they are being informed briefly.

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Computerised Communication

Computerised communication is the use of technology to communicate with each other. People can receive the countless amount of information from the internet. A form of computerised communication is email and text messages, which can reach people in a fraction of time when compared to written communication. Computerised reports are vital to care practitioners. Doctors prescribe patients’ medication slips or email it to the pharmacist in order for the service user to collect the medication. This type of computerised communication that is effective because it would make sure that the service user’s prescription is accurate. This is beneficial because the pharmacist might not understand the doctor’s handwriting and would give the patient the wrong medicine. Computerised communication assistance care settings to be much safer and organised.

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Advantages of Computerised Communication

There are many advantages to computerised communication. The first being that computerised communication stores information as a permanent record. This meaning that information can be referred back to and less likely to be distorted. This is essential for a care practitioner because keeping service users medical history, health, household and etc. in permanent files would help by keeping track on the service user. If a service user has cancer a second time, the care practitioner can analyse the service user’s treatment procedure for the first time they had cancer. This would help the care practitioner understand why the service user has cancer again and ways of helping them in their treatment to battle their cancer.

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Teleconferencing e-mail is another advantage of computerised communication because service users and care practitioners can communicate from a distance. This means they won’t have to be in the same room. A service user can use Doctor on Demand: MD & Therapy to communicate with their doctors on their mobile phones, tablets or laptops. This is a quick and efficient way to show computerised communication because the service users can write an email or have a face-to-face conversation with their doctor without booking an appointment that may take several days. The service user can communication with the doctor in the home or workplace. It can fit in their busy schedule.

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Another advantage of computerised communication is that it allows communication to happen between more people. This meaning that if a social worker was not sure about something, they can contact a colleague or someone of a higher status about the case. This would benefit the social worker and service user because they can get more than one perspective. For example, if the social worker has concerns about the mobility of an elderly service user, they can email a psychotherapist about booking sessions for the elderly service user. The social worker emailing the psychotherapist is a quick and efficient method to provide care for elderly service because writing a letter or telephoning the psychotherapist can take the necessary time. With an email, the social worker can write what they inquiry to achieve and why it is necessary for the elderly service user to be aided by the psychotherapist.

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The last advantage of computerised communication is that information can be presented in different fonts. This can benefit service users that might have problems reading the content. If the service has a vision problem, the service user or care practitioner may in large the front, to make it easier for the service user to see. If there is a language barrier, the service user can research about the words or use google translate to understand in the language they prefer.

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Disadvantage of Computerised Communication

The first disadvantage of computerised communication is that there is a danger of computer fraud. This can be due to the health care institution not having the proper control and security being installed regardless if it is external or internal. This can cause personal information about a service user to be easily accessed by another. This would be breaking confidentiality and can cause harm to the service users. If confidentiality is not maintained, the service user’s safety would be in danger. This is because anyone can access the service user’s personal information and they may use it to their advantage. This can have an emotional effect on the service user because they would feel anxious.

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Another disadvantage of computerised communication is that the computer not responding. If the computers does not work, then it can cause information being lost. This is important because if information is lost then the health being provided to the service users would be ineffective and delayed.

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The last disadvantage of computerised communication is that it is depersonalised care. This means that the care practitioners and service users are not talking directly and lacking the human contact. For example, if a service user with lung cancer was finding it difficult to cope with the news of having cancer, it can be difficult for the doctor to understand that the service is struggling. This is due to the fact that the doctor would not be conserving with the service user face-to-face and therefore, cannot see the body language used by the service user. If the service user is fidgeting or biting their nails repetitively.

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Examples of How People are Valued and Supported in Different Care Settings

An example to show how a care practitioner can benefit from computerised communication is social worker having to conduct an assessment of a service user’s needs and would have to upload this information onto the main database system which all professionals involved in the service user’s case have access to. The social worker would benefit from typing the information because it would be easier to alter, which would make it more accurate. The fact that other professionals can access the assessment conducted by the social worker would furthermore make it more accurate because more than one viewpoint is expressed and if there was a problem the other professionals can identify and inform the social worker in order to get the assessment to the best standard. The service user would also benefit because they would have a file that has been saved in a database to refer to in the future. The service user would feel valued and respected by the social worker and the health care institution because they would feel that they are a part of their healthcare rather than being excluded.

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Another example is a nursery practitioner having to email an educational psychologist to discuss the progress of a child. Emailing is quick and efficient way to communicate because it enables a response without a great delay. This is because emailing someone is not difficult. A nursery practitioner emailing a child’s educational status to a psychologist would provide a professional perspective. This would make the analysis of the child, who is the service user, more accurate. It would also give a more detailed report because psychologist study the behaviour of humans. The psychologist could get understanding why the child service user might be underachieving or achieving well. The nursery practitioner would benefit from computerised communication when contacting another professional.

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A third example would be a GP surgery has information about the centre on their website. Websites are an efficient way for the care practitioner giving information regarding their business to the service users. We would be able to know the services they provide and their contact information. The GP surgery information being provided would help the service user getting more information, they would be able to get an overview idea without having to call and have a lengthy conversation with the care practitioner, which may ruin their busy schedule. We live in a world where information is on the internet and people rarely heavily on advice given the internet. A service user researching on surgery could find the GP websites and read on the information provided. A similar scenario I would be the NHS service having information about different illnesses online. Service users can get more information on the internet because the internet is frequently used by all of us and it’s easier to use the internet. The younger generation are seen as a digital native because we have grown up with technology. Service user would research about the different illnesses and the best solution on the NHS website.

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The last example to show the usefulness of computerised communication is the NHS service having information about different illnesses online. This would give the service users the opportunity to research on their symptoms and treatments. If a service user is confused and does not want to have a conservation with their healthcare institute, they can benefit from the information being on the internet. This would make the service users’ feel appreciated and empowered due to them researching on their health. The service would also feel a part of the care and would contribute to decisions more effectively. If a service user had type 2 diabetes might choose medication over injecting themselves with insulin. In this situation, the service user educating themselves on their care would also support the care practitioner in providing them care. The service user would be expressing themselves clearly by stating their opinions and worries due to researching on their illness and therefore, the care practitioner would be able to give information and get a response immediately. Often conservations between care practitioner and service user can be one-sided, the care practitioner would be the one delivering the information and the service user would absorb it. However, it would be different if the service user had researched in advance about their illness in the NHS website because they would be able to challenge the care practitioner and it can even strengthen the relationship.

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Special Methods of Communication

According to Fisher et al (2012) health, social care and early years places need to “be prepared to provide for the service users who have special needs where communication is concerned.” These special needs would include difficulty in hearing, poor vision, or a language barrier such as the service user wanting to prefer or speak in another language the care practitioner may not know. The special needs of communication are dealt with special equipment or specialists such as a translator. Makaton, interpreters, sign language and braille are special communication methods to help a service user that may need help comprehending information. A care practitioner would use Makaton and sign languages with the service users that have hearing impairment. Care practitioner would use braille when communicating with a service user that is blind. This would enable the blind service user in writing and reading. An interpreter would be used in a situation where the service user may prefer to speak a language the care practitioner may not understand. The interpreter would translate the words or written text between the service user and care practitioner.

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Specialist Methods of Communication

Makaton is a language programme that uses signs and symbols in order to help people to communicate efficiently. It is intended to support spoken language and the signs and symbols are used when spoken. Makaton can help people that have a difficulty in learning and a hearing impairment. Signs are easier to understand than words. This may also benefit nursery practitioner when teaching children ways of behaving. The nursery practitioner can use hand movement to convey a meaning to the service user, in this case the child.

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Braille is a form of written communication for blind people. The written language is represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with fingertips. Care practitioner would use braille as a way to communicate with service users that have a limited vision and those that are blind. For example, in a care home menus might be written in braille in order for the elderly service users that are blind to read and understand the foods that are being offered.

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The British Sign Language is used by a lot of people in Britain. Sign language is a way for people to communicate through hand movement, conveying a meaning without speaking. This beneficial for deaf people or people with hearing impairment because they struggle in the hearing so would benefit with visually seeing the message through hand movement and they could response back with sign language.

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According to Neil Moonie (2005), the interpreter is “vital in any setting where communication is blocked due to different languages or communication system.” By this Moonie means that if someone was to speak to someone directly and they couldn’t translate the language the person spoke, then the conversation between them would not be helpful because both sides don’t understand each other. An interpreter becomes more useful in situations similar to aforementioned. A service user who prefers to speak in a different language or their native tongue which the care practitioner, such as a nurse may not understand. An interpreter could explain the conversation between the care practitioner and the service user.

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Advantages to Specialist Methods

There are several of advantages to special communication methods. The first advantage being that special communication method ensures that the service users can access information regardless if they are blind, deaf, have a language barrier or learning difficulty. This is beneficial to social workers and hospital practitioners because they would need to share information to the service users. By using the special communication methods to the service users that need special method support would allow the service user to understand what the care practitioner had said or written. This can give the service user a feeling of independence because they would be able to express their views. If they felt that they would not like the recommendations made by the care practitioner, they could inform them.

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Secondly, the special communication methods can help the health and social care practitioners have an accurate understanding of the service users’ needs. If a care practitioner was to construct a care plan for a service user, they can get an understanding the service users’ emotions and opinions. A service user with sensory impairment can benefit from using Makaton because they would be able to express themselves by using signs that can help a care practitioner what they mean. The service user might put their thumb down, which connotes that they are agreeing with the care practitioner. This would help the care practitioner in providing the best possible care for the service user when constructing a care plan or examinations.

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A third advantage of the specialised method is that a service user with special needs can express themselves independently without being reliant on others. This means that a service user with special needs would not be relying on the doctor or other care practitioners to make the decisions regarding healthcare. They would active participants in their care and would express their opinions and views more clearly in discussions with the care practitioner. This means that the service user would work as a collective team with the health and social care practitioner and the institute, they would not be excluded. For example, a healthcare institute would print leaflets in multiple languages rather than English about health topics and facilities. This would enable a person that does not speak English to understand what the healthcare institute offers. These can be a flu germ injections, which is offered in GPs three times a year. The service user can feel included in the discussion regarding them because they are able to share their concerns by using special communication methods.

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Disadvantage of Specialised Methods of Communication

The first disadvantage of specialist methods of communication is that there is an issue of privacy with using an interpreter. An interpreter is a person translating information between a service user and care practitioner if there is a language. However, that does not mean that an interpreter could break confidentiality and share personal information about a service user with another person. This would be problematic for the service and the health care institution because maintaining confidentiality is vital when providing care. The last disadvantage of specialised methods of communication is that the care practitioner is required to know a bit of sign language and Makaton to understand the service user. If the care practitioner does not know and therefore, the problem with an interpreter arises again.

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Examples of How People are Valued and Supported in Different Care Settings

An example to show how a care practitioner and a service user would benefit from special communication method would be a social worker using sign language to communicate with a service user who has a severe hearing impairment. The service user would understand the message the social worker is trying to get across since the social worker is using sign language. This can make the service user feel like they are not be excluded because they have a server hearing impairment, furthermore making them feel a part of the discussion and valued. Sign language enables interactions, so the social worker could get the service user to communicate back by using sign language. This would mean that the service user can express themselves by stating their opinions and issues in the discussion about their care.

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Another example would be a nursery practitioner using Makaton with a child with Downs’ syndrome who has delayed speech. Makaton would help the child understand meanings through signs and symbols because children can learn easily with symbols and signs. Down syndrome would often cause the child to have a learning difficulties and is often linked with speech delays. This is because research had been conducted to understand why children with Down syndrome may have speech difficulties. Makaton would teach the child different words by using a sign or symbol. For example, a child could wave their hand which would mean hello. A Down syndrome child would benefit using Makaton because it would be easier for them to grasp the understanding. This would support the child with their learning in the early stages of life.

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The third example would be a day care centre having leaflets about different services that they offer which is written in braille. This would give the parents or guardians that are blind or have limited vision the chance to read about the day care facility and the activities their child could participants in without having to consult with the day care staff or other parents. The parents or guardians would feel empowered, independent and valued by the day care centre because they are able to read the information presented to them without having to hear a person speak to them. In this situation, the day care centre is giving the parents or guardians their right to choice because they are able to make a decision by reading the leaflet themselves.

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The final example would be a GP having to ask for an interpreter to attend an appointment with a patient who does not speak English. The GP will discuss the mental health state of the patient and give information about treatments. If there is a language barrier between the GP and the service user it would best suit them to have interpreters to translate the conversation. In order for the service user to understand and the GP to know the service user’s concerns. An interpreter is useful in translating effectively between a care practitioner and service user with a language barrier. An interpreter would support the communication flow due to translating the words spoken by the GP and the service user to one another. This would make the service user feel valued because their concerns and health care is being taken seriously even though they don’t speak English. It also shows that the GP is not discriminating on the service user based their native language.

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