There is a free interpreter service for GP private practices available through the Translating and Interpreting Services, while Local Health District services can access the NSW Health Care Interpreting Services.
It is important to remember specific aspects of using interpreters in relation to early childhood GP care.
Parents or carers may be upset about the child’s condition, which may impact on history-taking and comprehension of information.
Certain conditions may have specific terms in certain languages and/or cultures which are difficult to adequately translate into English.
Some conditions may carry cultural stigma which may hamper open communication when a third party (an interpreter) is involved, especially over the phone, or when the family shares a closely knit and relatively small community with the interpreter.
It is imperative to explain confidentiality when seeking parents or carers consent to using interpreters.
NSW Health policies require only accredited professional interpreters (not family members or other unaccredited people) to interpret in clinical settings to ensure accuracy, confidentiality and legal duty of care.
This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.
