英语论文网

R>Takeaway owner, male
‘Mental health problems [depression and stress] aren’t really health problems – you just deal
with it’.
Focus group, male
‘It’s hard enough seeing your GP for physical problems, let alone mental health problems’
Focus group, female
Nearly all participants reported their current health status as ‘OK’ or ‘healthy’. One
participant (a takeaway owner, nearly 70) reported ‘Not good, because I have heart disease.
I am on medication’. However, two participants (a married couple working in a takeaway)
who reported ‘OK’ health also reported work-related illnesses – occasional pain in arm and
skin condition on feet (male) and pain in shoulder (female). These conditions had been
presented to their GP.
5.2. Language and cultural issues
Ability to speak the English language varied among the sample, with most young people
speaking fluently or competently and levels of competency varying among the older age
groups from speaking none at all or little to fairly competently.
Nearly all people in the sample either required an interpreter when visiting their GP or acted
as interpreter for a spouse or parent. However, language was not perceived to be a major
barrier to visiting their GP although it could sometimes be problematic. For example, for this
family:
‘Language is a problem sometimes – for more serious things my children come with me to
interpret’.
Father, late 40’s
15
‘Language is a problem – my daughter has to come with me each time… My eldest daughter
came here when she was 5 and started interpreting for us almost straightaway’.
Mother, late 40’s
Interviewer: How do you feel about interpreting for your parents?
Interviewee: I don’t mind. My sister does most of it.
Interviewer: Have you ever experienced any difficulties when interpreting?
Interviewee: Yes, sometimes I have difficulty translating medical terms.
Interviewer: Have you been in situations where you’ve found it embarrassing?
Interviewee: Um, no, you get used to it.
Daughter, late teens
In the focus group:
Facilitator: Are there any obstacles that hinder or prevent you from visiting your GP?
Participant: (None were voiced)
Facilitator: How about language?
Participant: No, we solve these problems ourselves.
While one-off visits to the GP were considered acceptable for asking children to interpret, it
would be a problem if frequent visits were required.
Interviewer: Do you think physiotherapy would help?
Interviewee: Yes, that would be good but there aren’t any interpreters. I would have to take
one of my children each time, I can’t do that. It would be very troublesome.
Mother, late 40’s
Language is therefore a barrier to accessing certain services, such as longer-term therapies
and services that are perhaps considered ‘non-essential’, for example
Interviewer: Did you attend antenatal classes?
Interviewee: No, because I can’t speak English and I had to work.
None of the sample knew whether or not their GP or hospital provided interpreters, despite
the provision of Interpretation and Translation Services by Shropshire County PCT and the
Borough of Telford & Wrekin Council. In the year 2004-05, Shropshire County PCT did not
provide any interpretation services to Chinese and only 2 Chinese translation services. The
Borough of Telford & Wrekin Council did not make figures available for this assessment.