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Doubt Kills

Non-English speaking South Asians suffering from chest pain are risking their lives because they are reluctant to call 999 due to the perception that they will face language barriers, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) claimed.

Research has shown that approximately 34% of South Asians expressed some level of discomfort with calling 999 because they think that nobody at the call centres will be able to understand what they are saying.

Dr. Sandy Gupta, Consultant Cardiologist and Chair, BHF Strategy Committee on CHD in Ethnic Minorities, says, "This is a worrying misconception because 999 call centres do have translation services. People who are concerned with these language barriers tend to call their GP who will, in the end, advise them to call 999 or make the call on their behalf."

"For every minute of deliberating, you waste further time in seeking life-saving treatment. Evidence shows that getting treatment within 1-2 hours of the onset of heart attack symptoms doubles your chances of survival.

" To ensure that 999 operators can help all non-English speakers quickly, the ambulance service works closely with Language Line Services.

Ian Knibbs, from Language Line Services, explains: "When a non-English speaker calls 999, the ambulance service connects them to Language Line Services, who identify within a few seconds what language the person is speaking. They then pass the call to an interpreter who speaks the same language, while still keeping the ambulance operator on the line.

"This entire process always takes less than 60 seconds - and often as little as 30 seconds. Language Line Services is very familiar with South Asian languages, so we are able to identify the language in a very short time and deal with the call quickly and efficiently.

" To reinforce the core message 'Doubt kills - call 999 immediately', BHF is taking one step further by officially designating 19th of July as Chest Pain Awareness Day to continue educating the communities about the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

Dr. Gupta says, "People tend to forget, so Chest Pain Awareness Day is a great way of reminding them. Also, the involvement of Language Line Services takes us one step closer to overcoming the barriers faced by the South Asian communities."

The BHF campaign has the support of all ambulance services across the UK. Hayden Newton, Interim Chief Executive of the Ambulance Service Association, says: "People need to know that we want them to call 999 if they are experiencing chest pain.

It might or might not be a heart attack - but if you're not sure, let us make that decision." For more information about heart disease, the BHF produces a range of free ethnic language resources and services.

Visit bhf.org.uk/publications for more information or call 0870 600 6566.