Professional Interpreters Help Make Healthcare Safer for All Australians
09 Oct 2026
For patients who have difficulty speaking English, understanding a medical consultation can be challenging. Without appropriate language support, important details about a diagnosis or treatment may be misunderstood, potentially affecting the care they receive.
According to NAATI CEO Mark Painting, language support should be treated as an essential part of patient safety, rather than an optional service.
About 20% of Australians use a language other than English at home, and around 700,000 people aged five and over have difficulty communicating in English. These figures highlight the need for healthcare services to communicate effectively with people from different language backgrounds.
International Translation Day, held in September, recognised the importance of language diversity and people's right to understand and be understood. This is particularly relevant in healthcare, where patients need clear information to make decisions about their health.
When communication breaks down, patients may struggle to understand medical advice, provide informed consent or explain their symptoms accurately. This can also affect their confidence in healthcare services and their willingness to seek further care.
Using relatives or friends to interpret medical information may seem convenient, but it can create problems. Family members might leave out difficult information, misunderstand medical terms or change the message because they want to protect someone from upsetting news.
Online translation tools can misinterpret medical terms, cultural differences and the intended meaning of important health information.
NAATI-certified interpreters are trained and assessed to help reduce these risks. They follow professional standards covering accuracy, impartiality and confidentiality, helping doctors and patients communicate more reliably.
Professional interpreters do not take the place of the doctor or the patient's relationship with their healthcare provider. Instead, they help both parties communicate directly and understand important information.
There are also existing arrangements to help general practices access interpreting services. Eligible practices can use the Australian Government-funded Free Interpreting Service, and interpreted consultations may be billed under relevant time-based Medicare Benefits Schedule items when requirements are met.
NAATI's national campaign, We All Deserve To Be Understood, encourages the use of certified interpreters in situations where clear communication is essential, including healthcare.
The message is that patients should be able to understand their diagnosis and treatment in a language they can follow. Access to professional interpreting can help support safer consultations and ensure that the responsibility for communicating serious medical information does not fall on family members who are not trained for the role.
Professional Interpreters Help Make Healthcare Safer for All Australians
Source: National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI), commentary by CEO Mark Painting.