What to change
Ask the practitioner and service owner what language support can accurately be described. Distinguish personal language ability from an arranged interpretation service and its booking requirements.
A worked example
Illustrative example
A profile says patients can contact reception to ask about an appointment in a named language. A separate page explains the practice's process for discussing interpreter support rather than treating the two as identical.
Put it into practice
Ask the practitioner and booking team what can be confirmed before a visit. A patient who needs language support should have a clear route to discuss it, rather than relying on a badge beside a photograph.
Ask the team how language preferences are recorded when appointments are arranged. Profile wording should help start that conversation without implying that a language badge alone confirms support for a visit.
What to agree before publishing
Confirm the language information with the practitioner and booking team, including how any preference is discussed before the visit. Speaking a language does not automatically establish an interpreting service or availability in that language at every appointment. Explain the actual arrangement in ordinary terms. Review icons and badges as well as the biography, because a shorthand symbol can make a broader promise than the approved text. Give patients a clear way to ask about support instead of leaving them to infer it from a profile.
How to check the result
A visitor knows how to check language arrangements before relying on them.
A mistake to avoid
Do not imply that conversational ability, translated website copy and professional interpretation provide the same service.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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