The King's Fund Centre first became interested in the problem of language difficulties with overseas patients when great concern on this matter was expressed by groups of `shop window' staff in discussion meetings at the Centre - the telephonists, receptionists and hall porters who frequently form the patient's first contact ...
It is impossible to give an accurate account of the numbers of domestics from overseas at present employed in British hospitals, but the percentage is certainly high. Hospitals have great difficulties in recruiting locally, and have to look elsewhere, often drawing people directly from overseas, for example from Southern Europe, ...