Cancer in your language

CancerBACUP’s freephone helpline can now give information and support to people affected by cancer in more than 100 languages – thanks to the launch of an interpreting service.

People whose first language is not English can contact the specialist cancer information nurses on Freephone 0808 800 1234, who will then link in a relevant interpreter. In a further innovation, the charity is the first in the country to launch 12 additional freephone lines specifically for speakers of the most common ethnic minority languages: Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, French, Greek, Gujerati, Hindi, Polish, Punjabi, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese.  These 12 languages alone cover 60-65 percent of British ethnic minority communities. Callers to these lines get straight through to an interpreter for their language who will link in a CancerBACUP nurse.

Joanne Rule, Chief Executive of CancerBACUP, said:
“CancerBACUP nurses offer people all the information they need to take some of the fear out of cancer.”

“We know that in the UK today there are more than a million people, particularly among older generations, who speak very little English or none at all. We want them to benefit from the practical advice and emotional support we offer and believe this service is a major step forward.”

The new service is being provided by the interpreting and translation company EITI, which already works with hospitals, primary care trusts and health authorities across the UK.

Carolyn Burgess, Managing Director of EITI, said:
“We are determined to help CancerBACUP provide high quality and up-to-date information to as many people as possible.”

Numbers for the 12 additional freephone “direct to language” lines are:

Arabic  0808 800 0130
Bengali  0808 800 0131
Cantonese  0808 800 0132   
French  0808 800 0133
Greek   0808 800 0134   
Gujarati  0808 800 0135
Hindi   0808 800 0136   
Polish  0808 800 0137
Punjabi  0808 800 0138   
Turkish  0808 800 0139
Urdu   0808 800 0140  
Vietnamese   0808 800 0141