From Promise to Practice: Understanding Low Uptake of Video Remote Interpreting in Maternity Settings Through NASSS Analysis

Citation

Li L (2025) From Promise to Practice: Understanding Low Uptake of Video Remote Interpreting in Maternity Settings Through NASSS Analysis [From Promise to Practice: Implementing and Accessing Video Remote Interpreting in Maternity Settings for Women Speaking Languages Other Than English]. 11th EST Congress: The Changing Faces of Translation and Interpreting Studies, Leeds, 27.06.2025-03.07.2025. https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/languages/events/event/2764/11th-est-congress-the-changing-faces-of-translation-and-interpreting-studies

Abstract
For over two decades, inadequate spoken language interpreting services have contributed to maternal health disparities among women who speak languages other than English (LOTE) in the UK (Lewis and Drife, 2001; Draper et al., 2023). Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) has been proposed as a potential solution to provide timely and affordable healthcare interpreting services (DG Interpretation, 2011; Lion et al., 2015). This study investigates the implementation of VRI, specifically Language Line Solutions’ interpreter-on-wheels (IOWs), across maternity departments in three inner-city hospitals within an NHS trust in London. Guided by Penchansky and Thomas’s (1981) concept of access, which frames access in terms of six dimensions: availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, acceptability, and awareness, this study employed a mixed-method approach. Data were collected through interviews with LOTE women and their families, observations, surveys of interpreting service providers and maternity care providers (MCPs), and consultations with Language Service Providers (LSPs). Findings reveal that reliance on VRI alone was largely ineffective in providing timely and quality interpreting services. Key barriers included NHS systemic constraints, poor implementation leading to low uptake of IOWs, and insufficient support and training for MCPs. The study highlights the interconnectedness of actors within the complex interpreting service provision supply chain and underscores the critical need for comprehensive training programs for interpreters and MCPs in VRI use. This research addresses a significant gap in the current literature on VRI implementation in healthcare settings, particularly in maternity care for LOTE women in the UK. It provides valuable insights into the complex realities of implementing VRI in maternity care, highlighting both obstacles and potential solutions for effective service provision. Recommendations include developing targeted VRI training modules for healthcare providers, establishing clear protocols for VRI use in maternity settings, and fostering closer collaboration between healthcare institutions and LSPs to ensure sustainable and effective VRI services.

Keywords
Access barriers; Language Line Solutions' Interpreter-on-wheels (LLS IOWs); Maternity care