Value For Money

Our member organisations have a duty to deliver value for money services. To help keep their costs down, INTRAN members are committed to consistently using professional interpreters.

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Jurate’s Story

Jurate, 40, has lived in the UK for 12 months. Her first language is Lithuanian.

She works shifts, and attends English classes when she can. She speaks little English and lacks confidence in the language.

When Jurate starts to lose weight, she is initially pleased. When she starts feeling thirsty all the time, she is concerned, but does not act.

When chronic fatigue makes it hard to work, she visits her local GP, where she speaks through an interpreter.


  1. Jurate outlines her symptoms, but the inexperienced interpreter fails to draw out their severity, or how long she has had them.
  2. The GP diagnoses a virus and prescribes an antibiotic.
  3. Jurate struggles on. She doesn’t see any point returning to the GP, since she cannot make herself understood. Six months later, she is hospitalised for 16 days with severe kidney failure.

Very high costs


  1. As Jurate hesitantly describes her symptoms, the interpreter helps her overcome her natural reticence and provides full details so the GP understands exactly what is going on.
  2. The GP diagnoses possible Type II diabetes and refers Jurate to a specialist.
  3. Jurate receives prompt care and learns how to manage her condition through diet and lifestyle changes

Relatively low costs