What if my practice has a high number of non-English speaking patients?

It is true that you cannot consult with an individual patient with whom you share no common language. However, practices find that there are many ways round this, including Language Line, relatives, an interpreter session at certain times of the week – or simply bringing the patient in.  We have never yet found a practice where this made the system fail as a whole.  Every practice is different in some way and adapts the system to suit.  See the Balaam St case study in multi-ethnic Plaistow.  The askmyGP system offers the new possibility for a patient to complete a history in their own language, which is translated to present to the GP in English.