Medical interpreting: physiotherapy and rehabilitation
Appointments in physiotherapy and rehabilitation put the interpreter under a specific kind of pressure: the vocabulary is dense, the emotional weight is real, and the patient often has to decide something at the end of the conversation. We brief the interpreter on the field beforehand and, where you can share it, on the referral letter, so nothing is being worked out for the first time in front of the patient.
Insurers and disability offices compare the translation against the original line by line, so completeness matters more than elegance. We keep the numbering, the headings and the tabular structure intact, which is what shortens the assessment rather than restarting it.
Everything heard during an assignment stays there. Interpreters do not keep notes after the appointment, do not discuss cases outside it, and are briefed never to accept a role beyond interpreting, even when a family asks them to.
Ways we interpret
Related pages
Booking an interpreter
Tell us the date and the setting
Language, place, expected duration and what the appointment is about. Two days' notice is usually enough; we also cover same-day emergencies.
We confirm a named interpreter
You get the name, the language combination and a fixed price agreed before the appointment, not after it.
The interpreter arrives briefed
Send the referral or the previous report in advance and the interpreter reads it, so the terminology is ready before the first sentence.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book?
Two working days covers most requests and guarantees a choice of interpreter. Rare combinations and early-morning hospital slots are easier with a week. For emergencies, call: telephone interpreting can usually be arranged straight away, and an on-site interpreter can often be there the same day.
How is an interpreting assignment quoted?
Per assignment, once we know four things: the language, the length and nature of the appointment, the address, and whether it runs on site, by telephone or by video. Tell us those and you get one figure before the booking is confirmed. Nothing is added to it afterwards without your written agreement.
Can a relative interpret instead?
It happens often, and it is where most misunderstandings start. A relative filters bad news, omits what is embarrassing, answers on the patient's behalf and cannot be held to professional confidentiality. Children should never be used at all. A trained interpreter costs an hour's fee and removes a liability from the consultation.