Health students to start learning Welsh hoping to improve their patient care
Stanley Murphy-Johns
Students at Wrexham University on health-related courses will now complete Welsh language modules, allowing them to communicate with patients in their first language while on placement.
The modules were officially launched at the National Eisteddfod this week.
In April last year, the BBC reported that Welsh-speaking numbers had declined by roughly 24,000 since 2011 across Wales, despite the Welsh Government’s target of continuing to grow the language.
As a result, Welsh language activists demanded “radical measures” be put in place to avoid further decline, and perhaps Wrexham University have found one here.
The plan is for students to learn enough Welsh to be able to communicate with and support patients or colleagues through the medium of Welsh, while on placement.
“Feedback from patients is that being able to communicate with healthcare professionals in their first language makes a huge difference to their overall experience.” said Elen Mai Nefydd, Head of Welsh Medium Academic Development at Wrexham University.
Students studying degrees in; Nutrition and Dietetics, Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy, Paramedic Science, Occupational Therapy and Operating Department practice at Wrexham University will be expected to complete these modules over the next academic year.
Nesta McCluskey, Clinical Director of Allied Health Professionals at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “As a health board, we have a clear vision that everyone who comes into contact with our services should be treated with respect and dignity, and receive a safe and responsive service that is accessible in their language of choice, which is why we are pleased to be working alongside the University to provide these modules to Allied Health students.”
Students undertaking the modules will be supported by Practice Educators through the medium of Welsh. The modules will start to be delivered this October.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
So it will supposedly help patients as they can use their 1st language but it will be the health professionals 2nd language so it wont help them. I want the Health professionals to use their 1st language so they can better anlyse the problem – all Welsh speakers have enough exposure to English to communicate their problem. This just seems like Welsh language showboating…
This news item recalls for me a story from quite a few years back, which reported that a job applicant for some health or social care position in Ceredigion had complained that she’d been a victim of unreasonable discrimination because a candidate with considerably less experience than she had was appointed to a post in elderly care, seemingly on the grounds that the less experienced candidate was fluent in Welsh, while the complainant was unable to speak the language. I forget now what the outcome of the complaint was – quite possibly I never read anything more about it. But… Read more »
You sound like someone who hasn’t used the NHS for a few decades.
So you’re unaware of the huge numbers health professionals who are already working in a second language ie English
When you do come to need the services of the NHS and If you insist that those dealing with you must be first language English speakers your wait for treatment is going to be considerably longer than it need be.