PATIENTS NOT PASSPORTS: Migrants Access to Healthcare During the Coronavirus Crisis | June 2020 Phone consultations are no good for people with broken English.” Lack of use of interpreters means people are not able to explain themselves over the phone to health professionals. GPs who previously had interpreters booked by admin staff seem unable to do so themselves from a remote setting.” A particular problem during the crisis is automated phone systems, which do not offer alternative languages to English. It is often impossible to convey a health concern without first navigating complicated triage systems over the phone, in a language that the patient does not understand. Even where patients are able to speak to an operator, our research reveals that in GP practices receptionists and other administrative staff use interpretation services even less frequently than health professionals. Receptionists [are] not using interpreters, and receptionists don’t have patience to explain procedures to patients.” As well as GP services, several respondents cite language and interpretation barriers to accessing the NHS 111 service. For several weeks, the Government’s advice for those displaying coronavirus symptoms was to call 111, yet several respondents report “not knowing if 111 have interpretation services”. Migrants who were made aware of interpreters available through 111 nonetheless indicated that there were problems with “calling 111 but interpreters not being available and when available difficult to use”. Margaret’s experience, highlighted in the box below, provides an example of the difficulty in accessing the interpretation services of 111. Margaret’s experience Margaret (not her real name) works for a London-based charity supporting migrants to navigate and access the health service effectively. Before coronavirus, Margaret’s clients faced many barriers resulting from a lack of interpretation services and difficulty registering with a GP due to the documentation required. People turn up to primary care or A&E or whatever, and they can’t speak the language. I think that always has to be the prime one [barrier]. We are not very good as a healthcare system at providing interpreting services for that.” With appointments going online or held over the phone, language barriers and digital exclusions have intensified. Margaret described the practices of a GP surgery in a diverse part of London… The practice gate was locked, with a sign saying ‘if you think you have Covid symptoms, please go online’ […] What about all those people who don’t speak English? [.…] Also, you’re signposting them to an internet based service. How many of their patients do you think actually have access to the internet?” … and the difficulties accessing 111 services without a translator. 23