Boots UK is piloting a new on-demand interpretation service for non-English speaking pharmacy patients to help make healthcare more accessible.

In England and Wales, there are an estimated 726,000 residents who cannot speak English easily and 138,000 unable to speak English at all.

VOYCE is a patient-centred app that can be accessed via in-store iPads. It connects colleagues and patients with experienced interpreters who can translate over 245 languages. The free service is currently being trialled in five stores across Belfast, Birmingham, Knightsbridge, Leicester and Southampton.

Richard Bradley, pharmacy director at Boots UK, said: “This pilot scheme is a great example of how technology can help us drive better patient outcomes, through a simple, innovative service that will help our pharmacy teams make sure that our patients get the most from their medicines, without language as a barrier.”

The pilot is part of Boots UK’s larger plans to transform its pharmacy experience for patients and customers.

Earlier this year, the pharmacy chain developed the Free Online NHS Repeat Prescription Service, giving patience the convenience of ordering repeat prescriptions from their mobiles, arranging collection from a store or having it delivered to their home for free.

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