INTERPRETERS are costing Greater Manchester's NHS millions of pounds every year.

The region's biggest trust Pennine - which runs hospitals in Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and North Manchester - shelled out more than £1m last year.

During one week in January they called in interpreters 398 times.

Now bosses are piloting a phone translation scheme at North Manchester General to try to cut the bills.

Pennine health trust's Nayla Malick said: "We believe that we can improve our services to patients who need interpreters while cutting costs.

"Last year our bill for the whole trust for interpreter services was more than £1m, which we simply believe is too high. Costs from agencies can be as high as £125 an hour, with minimum call outs - so even if an interpreter is used for only a few minutes, we may have to pay for an hour.

"We have high hopes for the trial, which will allow our medical staff and patients to assess how useful the service is."

Languages

The phone system provides access to 125 languages within 30 seconds.

Pennine will run the trial for three months, and it is being led by the trust's ethnic health team, who act as interpreters themselves.

Cordless phones will let the patient and clinician talk to each other through an interpreter.

Ms Malick said: "There will be times when face-to-face interpreters will be needed, but the phones could save us substantial amounts.

"Not only will this offer instant access to language support, but the more money we can save, the more we can invest in our health services for patients."

Central Manchester and Manchester Children's Hospitals - which runs the Manchester Royal Infirmary, St Mary's and the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and Booth Hall Hospital - spent £581,984 on 57 languages over the past 12 months.

Bolton Hospitals spent £35,400, University Hospitals of South Manchester used 45 interpreters at a cost of £97,000 and The Christie spent £23,000 on interpreters.