MATERNITY INTERPRETER REQUEST — PRIVATE WORKING RECORD
Use your own service's approved contact route. This file has no online form.

Clinic / service:
Appointment date, time and location / remote format:
Preferred spoken language and dialect:
Signed language / other communication needs, if relevant:
Preferred written language and a useful way to receive information:
Relevant interpreter preference or private concern to discuss:
Request made on / team contacted:
Status: REQUESTED / CONFIRMED / DETAIL PENDING / CHANGED
Session format confirmed:
Booking reference, if supplied:
How confirmation and appointment changes will reach me:
Questions still awaiting an answer:
Who checks a changed appointment and language booking:
Clinic contact for a problem on the day:
Date I checked this record:

Keep personal health records separate. Share details through the care service's
approved route and only with people you choose. Ask for professional language
support when you contact urgent care; do not wait for a routine booking.

FOUR ORIGINAL ENGLISH SCRIPTS
First request
I have a maternity appointment with [clinic] on [date and time]. I need a professional interpreter in [language and dialect]. Please tell me how to request one, whether this is confirmed, and how I will receive the answer. I also need help understanding [appointment messages / written information].

Check a pending request
I requested an interpreter for [appointment]. The language is [language and dialect]. Please check whether the request is confirmed for this date and tell me how the session will work. Is there anything still waiting for an answer?

Update a changed appointment
My appointment has changed from [old date] to [new date and time]. Please check the language-service booking too, and tell me whether the old booking is cancelled and the new one is confirmed.

Ask for clarification during care
I have not understood that explanation. Please pause and explain it again through the interpreter. I would like to describe it back in my own words and check that I have understood.

EIGHT FICTIONAL CASES AND ANSWER NOTES
1. The booking says Mandarin, but you need Cantonese to discuss care. Is “Chinese” a sufficient match?
Ask the clinic to correct and confirm the spoken language.
The government guidance explicitly distinguishes Mandarin and Cantonese. A broad label or a preferred written script does not confirm the language needed for the conversation.

2. Your partner wants to attend and can speak English. Does that make professional interpreting unnecessary?
Keep support and professional interpreting as separate roles.
A companion can give wanted support. The guidance recommends offering professional interpreting when language is a problem in health discussions and says children should not interpret. Tell the team what communication help you need.

3. The clinic offers a translated leaflet, but reading that language is difficult. Is the written-language request finished?
Explain what you can use and ask for the information to be explained accessibly.
A preferred spoken language does not establish reading ability. The guidance describes alternatives such as spoken explanation; the service must confirm what it can arrange.

4. You receive a new appointment time. The earlier interpreter confirmation still has the old time. What needs checking?
Check both the appointment and the language-service booking.
A confirmed request belongs to specific arrangements. Ask the team to update the booking and explain the confirmation or cancellation process rather than assuming it moves automatically.

5. An urgent maternity concern arises while your routine interpreter request is still pending. Should you wait for that confirmation?
Contact the appropriate maternity or emergency service now and state your language need.
A routine preparation record is not a triage system. Use your care team’s urgent instructions and ask for communication help through that service without delaying contact.

6. You recognise the assigned interpreter socially and do not feel comfortable discussing private concerns. What can you say?
Tell staff privately about the concern and ask about another arrangement.
The guidance says conflicts of interest should be checked before a session. Knowing an interpreter personally can affect willingness to disclose health information; do not assume you must continue silently.

7. During a telephone session you cannot hear the interpreter, but the discussion continues. Is a connected call enough?
Say that you cannot hear and ask the team to pause and resolve the problem.
The purpose is understandable communication. A connected line with poor sound does not achieve that; ask for repetition once the connection works and record any remaining question.

8. You have an English summary after the appointment and can translate ordinary words with an app. Does that confirm you understood the care instructions?
Ask the team to explain unclear instructions using professional language support.
The government guidance advises against automated online translation in healthcare settings because quality is not assured. A translated word list or letter is not the same as an understood care conversation.

Sources
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/language-interpretation-migrant-health-guide
https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/visiting-our-hospitals/your-appointment/before-your-appointment/