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An on-demand interpretation service for non-English speaking pharmacy patients is being trialled by Boots.
The free service is being trialled across five stores in Belfast, Birmingham, central London, Leicester and Southampton, is accessed via in-store iPads, and will connect staff and patients with interpreters who can translate more than 245 languages. It will use a private service provided by the US firm VOYCE.
Richard Bradley, pharmacy director at Boots, said: “Boots has been at the forefront of health innovation for 170 years”.
“This pilot scheme is a great example of how technology can help us drive better patient outcomes through a simple, innovative service that will help our pharmacy teams make sure that our patients get the most from their medicines, without language as a barrier.”
According to a statement from Boots, data from the 2011 census found that there are an estimated 726,000 people living in England and Wales who speak English, but not well, and 138,000 people who are unable to speak English at all.
