Finalists announced in Bilingual Healthcare category for this year’s Best of Health awards

Hywel Dda University Health Board has announced the three finalists in the Providing Bilingual Healthcare category at this year’s Best of Health awards.
The Best of Health awards are an annual event organised by the University Health Board to recognise and reward the extraordinary achievements of its staff and volunteers, many of whom often go beyond the call of duty in their work for the benefit of patients and service users.

This year, 110 entries were received from across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
The winners will be announced at an official ceremony in January 2016 when the Chief Executive will also announce the winner for overall best entry.
Lisa Gostling, Director of Workforce & Organisational Development said: “We are delighted with the number of entries received this year. Once again, people have found time to send in their nominations so that just some of the many achievements and inspiring work that is taking place across Hywel Dda University Health Board can be recognised and rewarded.
“Congratulations to all those who were nominated and I especially wish all the finalists the very best of luck.”
The Providing Bilingual Healthcare category seeks to reward those who have demonstrated a significant contribution to policy work, translation services, inclusion, adapting work processes, services or patient care that helps to deliver services in the language of choice and the finalists for 2015 are:
‘Give It A Go’ poster has been nominated for its success in helping people to ‘give it a go’ and learn some basic Welsh day-to-day vocabulary and useful sayings.

The poster, produced by the UHB’s Welsh Language Unit, was launched during the St David’s Day celebrations in 2014.

Since then copies have been widely distributed across the health board in order to help staff, in any role and at any level, develop their language skills and help service users feel more comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings. Within a very short time since the poster was launched, the Unit has seen a positive impact on the development of bilingual health services within the UHB.
Rachel Williams, Welsh medium link lecturer has been shortlisted in recognition of her efforts to develop and support the use of the Welsh language in the workplace, as well as for her passion and commitment to improving services for women and their families.

Rachel was appointed to the role within midwifery services in 2014 and has been working alongside midwives, students and women using the service to help them build on their confidence and ability to use the language.

Rachel has also developed an antenatal class, the first of its kind in Wales, for women and their families in both Carmarthen and Ceredigion through the medium of Welsh, with the support of both community and student midwives. The classes have been well attended and evaluated by the women and their partners as being an excellent support and resource.
Teifi Surgery, Llandysul is being recognised for its proactive approach to improving and strengthening Welsh medium service provision within the practice for their patients.

The practice has put a number of improvements in place to do this, including providing a bilingual website, telephone message system and reception telephone service; introducing bilingual and Welsh speaker name badges for all their front of house staff, and non Welsh speaking staff, including doctors, are encouraged to learn basic Welsh.

Also, within the practice reception area all health information posters have been reviewed and replaced, where possible, with bilingual posters, with health promotion advice boards now displaying 90% bilingual posters.

Clinical referrals now include the patient’s first choice of language to help identify whether a Welsh translator is required. The surgery’s ‘new patient questionnaire’ is being revised and patients can choose their first choice of language.

The practice is also helping other practices deliver the same level of service for patients.
For information about all the shortlisted entries in the Best of Health Awards’ other categories visit www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/bestofhealth