Contents of this guide
Arabic interpreting for NHS settings is available, and it is more accessible than many patients and healthcare staff realise. This guide covers how it works, what types of interpreting are available, and what both patients and healthcare teams need to know to arrange it.
Why Professional Arabic Interpreting Matters in Healthcare
It is worth being direct about why this matters. When a patient relies on a family member to interpret, several things can go wrong.
When a family member interprets
- Family members may not know the correct medical terminology in either language.
- They may soften or change what the clinician says to avoid upsetting the patient.
- They may be asked to translate information about a diagnosis or treatment that puts them in a distressing position.
- And in sensitive situations, such as mental health assessments or discussions about end-of-life care, having a relative interpret creates a dynamic that is unfair to everyone involved.
With a professional interpreter
- A professional Arabic interpreter works in a neutral role.
- Their job is to convey accurately what each party says, in the correct register, without adding, omitting, or softening.
- That accuracy protects the patient and supports the clinician in making informed decisions.
It also protects the healthcare provider. Clinical decisions made on the basis of miscommunication carry risk.
Having a professional interpreter in place is both good practice and good governance.
The Types of Arabic Interpreting Available for NHS Use
Not every NHS appointment needs the same type of interpreting. Understanding the options helps both patients and healthcare teams choose the right format.
Try it
Which format suits this appointment?
Pick the situation closest to yours. You will see which format works well for it, and why.
Works well here
Telephone interpreting
The fastest option to arrange: a three-way call that can often be set up at very short notice.
Listed in this guide for this format:
Works well here
Video interpreting
The clinician and patient can see the interpreter on screen, and because the interpreter does not need to be there in person, scheduling is far more flexible.
Listed in this guide for this format:
Works well here
In-person interpreting
The most comprehensive option: the interpreter attends the clinic or hospital and works in the room alongside the patient and clinician.
Listed in this guide for this format:
Telephone Interpreting
Telephone interpreting connects a patient, a clinician, and an Arabic interpreter in a three-way call. It is the fastest option to arrange and works well for:
- GP consultations and triage calls
- Prescription queries and follow-up discussions
- Mental health telephone assessments
- Out-of-hours urgent calls where there is no time to arrange an in-person interpreter
Telephone interpreting through a professional service can often be arranged at very short notice, making it practical for unplanned clinical situations. Our telephone interpreting service covers Arabic across all major dialects.
Video Interpreting
Video interpreting adds a visual dimension that can be important in medical contexts. A clinician and patient can see the interpreter on screen, which helps with:
- Communicating with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing and use visual cues
- Mental health and psychological assessments, where non-verbal communication is relevant
- Consultations where visual reassurance matters, particularly with elderly or anxious patients
- Situations where the clinician needs to show the patient something, such as a diagram or a medication leaflet
Video interpreting removes the need for an interpreter to be physically present, which makes it far more flexible in terms of scheduling.
In-Person Interpreting
For more complex consultations, in-person Arabic interpreting remains the most comprehensive option. This is particularly suited to:
- Specialist appointments such as oncology, neurology, or complex surgical consultations
- Multidisciplinary team meetings involving patients or their families
- Safeguarding discussions
- Lengthy appointments where telephone or video fatigue would be a concern
In-person interpreters attend the clinic or hospital and work in the room alongside the patient and clinician. Our NHS interpreting service covers in-person appointments across the UK.
The patient's own preference counts too: ask which format they are comfortable with.
Dialect Matters in Medical Settings
One of the things that distinguishes a specialist Arabic interpreting service from a generalist provider is attention to dialect. Arabic is not a single spoken language in the way that it appears on a service menu. A patient from Iraq speaks a different variety from a patient from Morocco, and both differ from a patient from Syria or Egypt.
In a clinical context, dialect mismatches create a specific risk. If a patient uses a word from their regional variety that the interpreter does not recognise, or if the interpreter translates in a dialect the patient finds difficult to follow, the patient may nod along without genuinely understanding what has been communicated.
This is particularly dangerous in contexts like medication instructions, consent processes, or discharge advice.
When you arrange Arabic interpreting for an NHS appointment, it is worth specifying the patient's country of origin so the right dialect can be matched. Gulf Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, Levantine Arabic (covering Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestinian backgrounds), Iraqi Arabic, Maghrebi Arabic (covering Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya), and Sudanese Arabic are each distinct enough to warrant a dialect-matched interpreter wherever possible.
Try it
Match the dialect
Choose the patient's country of origin to see which dialect group to ask for when the interpreter is booked.
Ask for an interpreter who speaks
Gulf Arabic
When you book, give the country of origin too, so the right dialect can be matched.
Ask for an interpreter who speaks
Egyptian Arabic
When you book, give the country of origin too, so the right dialect can be matched.
Ask for an interpreter who speaks
Levantine Arabic
When you book, give the country of origin too, so the right dialect can be matched.
Ask for an interpreter who speaks
Iraqi Arabic
When you book, give the country of origin too, so the right dialect can be matched.
Ask for an interpreter who speaks
Maghrebi Arabic
When you book, give the country of origin too, so the right dialect can be matched.
Ask for an interpreter who speaks
Sudanese Arabic
When you book, give the country of origin too, so the right dialect can be matched.
Give the country of origin when you book
This guide names six dialect groups. For any other country, tell the booking team the patient's country of origin so the right dialect can be matched.
The six dialect groups in this guide
-
Gulf Arabic
Gulf countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman
-
Egyptian Arabic
Egypt
-
Levantine Arabic
Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestinian backgrounds
-
Iraqi Arabic
Iraq
-
Maghrebi Arabic
Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya
-
Sudanese Arabic
Sudan
Your choice stays on this device only.
See it on the reception cardWhat Healthcare Staff Need to Know
If you are a GP, nurse, consultant, or healthcare administrator arranging Arabic interpreting, a few practical points will help the appointment go smoothly.
-
Book in advance where possible
For planned outpatient appointments, arranging an Arabic interpreter in advance gives more flexibility in matching the right dialect and format. Last-minute telephone interpreting is available, but planned appointments benefit from more lead time.
-
Brief the interpreter beforehand if you can
Letting the interpreter know the nature of the appointment, the relevant medical specialty, and any specific terminology likely to arise helps them prepare. A brief conversation before the patient enters the room is enough.
-
Speak to the patient, not to the interpreter
This is standard practice in professional interpreting, but it is worth mentioning. The interpreter is there to convey your words to the patient; the clinical relationship is between you and the patient. Directing your speech to the patient, even though they may not understand English, keeps the interaction natural and patient-centred.
-
Allow extra time
Interpreted consultations take longer. Consecutive interpreting, where each speaker pauses to allow the interpreter to convey what has been said, adds a significant amount of time compared to a direct-language appointment. Build this into your scheduling.
-
Confirm the format the patient is comfortable with
Some patients are uncomfortable with video calls and will engage much better in person or by telephone. Others, particularly those who have difficulty travelling, find video interpreting the most accessible option. Ask the patient's preference when you book.
What Patients and Families Need to Know
If you are an Arabic-speaking patient or a family member trying to arrange support for a relative, here is what to expect from a professional Arabic interpreting service.
You have the right to request an interpreter for NHS appointments.
You do not need to rely on a family member to interpret for you if you do not wish to. If your GP surgery or hospital has not arranged an interpreter and you need one, you can ask them to arrange one or you can contact a specialist service directly.
Try it
Show this at reception
A card for your phone. It asks the GP surgery or hospital, in English and in Arabic, for a professional Arabic interpreter.
Interpreter requestطلب مترجم فوري
I would like a professional Arabic interpreter for my appointment, please.
My dialect:
أودّ الاستعانة بمترجم فوري محترف للغة العربية في موعدي، من فضلكم.
لهجتي:
Thank you.شكرًا لكم.
To add your dialect to the card, choose your country of origin in the dialect helper above. Your dialect is on the card. You can change it in the dialect helper above.
Illustrative example, not a real case
An illustrative example of how this works in practice: imagine an elderly patient from a Gulf country attending a specialist cardiology appointment.
At earlier appointments
Their adult child has been interpreting at previous appointments but is not available.
This time
By arranging professional Arabic interpreting in advance, using a dialect-matched interpreter for Gulf Arabic, the patient is able to follow the consultation fully, ask their own questions, and confirm their understanding of the medication changes being made.
For the clinician
The clinician can be confident that consent has been properly obtained.
(This is an illustrative scenario, not a real case.)
For urgent appointments or situations where an interpreter is needed quickly, telephone interpreting can be arranged at short notice through our Arabic interpreting service.
What About Written Documents?
NHS interpreting and written translation are related but separate needs. If a patient needs appointment letters, discharge summaries, medication guides, or consent forms translated from English into Arabic, that is a written translation service rather than an interpreting service.
Interpreting
The spoken conversation in the appointment, by telephone, by video or in person.
Written translation
Documents such as appointment letters, discharge summaries, medication guides and consent forms.
Our Arabic translation service covers written translation of NHS materials, alongside our interpreting work. If you are a healthcare administrator producing patient-facing materials that need to be accessible in Arabic, we can also help with that.
For any written translations that need to be certified, for example, medical records being submitted as part of an immigration or legal process, our certified translation service provides the appropriate format.
Arrange Arabic Interpreting for Your Appointment
Whether you are a patient needing support at an upcoming appointment, or a healthcare team looking to arrange Arabic interpreting for planned or urgent consultations, we are here to help.
Call us on 0800 193 8888 or contact us at arabictranslation.co.uk/contact. Our Arabic-speaking project team can advise on the right format and dialect matching for your needs.
- The nature of the appointment and the medical specialty
- The format: telephone, video or in person
- The patient's country of origin, so the dialect can be matched
For a full overview of our interpreting services, visit arabictranslation.co.uk/arabic-interpreting.
