Scottish health guide available in 17 languages

Thursday 25th February 2010

The Scottish government has funded a new service which will translate an NHS guide into 17 different languages.

The online video and DVD aims to put all patients at the "heart of the NHS" and offers advice on GPs, dentists, opticians and pharmacists.

It is hoped that thousands of people, including new migrants, people whose first language is not English and people with low literacy, will benefit from the service.

Users will get an insight into Scotland's health service at work with five different patients and their families showcasing their stories.

It also covers out-of-hours care and community-based services, including public health nurses, sexual health services and mental health services.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) said: "It is important for our health service to be innovative in the way we address the needs of all patients across Scotland.

"Our aim is to put patients at the heart of the NHS and make them partners in their own care."

The advice will be available in Arabic, Bengali, British Sign Language, Cantonese, English, Farsi, French, Gaelic, Korean, Kurdish Sorani, Mandarin, Polish, Punjabi, Somali, Tigrinya, Turkish and Urdu.

It was produced by Health Rights Information Scotland, a project based at Consumer Focus Scotland.

Copyright © Press Association 2010

NHS Scotland