Short, plain-language summaries of three key NHS messages in languages widely spoken in England: where to go for medical help, how to register with a GP, and how to get a free interpreter.
In an emergency, call 999.
If you need medical help today and it is not an emergency, call 111 and ask for an interpreter. For British Sign Language (BSL), use signvideo.co.uk/nhs111. Text relay: 18001 111.
Free interpreters
You can ask for a professional interpreter for NHS appointments, including British Sign Language. NHS services must provide interpreting free of charge. Tell your GP surgery when you book, or contact the hospital service before your appointment. Each language above has a page about this.
About these pages
We chose these 7 languages from the 2021 Census: they are among the main languages, other than English, that people in England speak. Each page is a short summary, translated by the UK Hospitals editorial team from our English guides and checked against the NHS website. If anything is unclear, use NHS 111 and ask for an interpreter.
In English: Where to go for medical help · How to register with a GP surgery · Health information in other languages (NHS website)