How to Proceed if the Interpreter Fails to Show Up
A free decision support tool for clinicians facing an urgent situation with no interpreter present. It won’t give you the answer. It will help you think through your options properly.
What You'll Learn
☑ A structured way to think through an impossible situation, built around the real consequences of proceeding versus delaying care
☑ Practical prompts for the moment itself, not abstract theory, so it holds up when you’re actually in the room
☑ A resource relevant across settings, made for oncologists, but just as relevant to nurses, midwives and mental health staff
I’m Shelley Purchon, founder of English Unlocked.
I spent 25 years teaching English as a Foreign Language before I started training the other side of that conversation. Now I help public sector and clinical teams across the UK to communicate clearly across language barriers.
This particular tool came from a conversation with a client. An oncologist had to deliver a cancer diagnosis. The interpreter didn’t show up. The patient needed to start treatment urgently. There was no good option, only a difficult decision that had to be made anyway.
I built this with input from partners working in the same space, because I didn’t think one perspective was enough for something this serious. It’s a one page diagram to help you consider the dilemma from all sides.
“This tool won't make that decision for you. There is no ‘perfect’ solution. What it will do is help you think it through properly, so whatever you decide, you made an informed choice”
Dilemmas like these are difficult to grapple with on your own, under pressure. Get the tool now, so it’s there if you ever need it.
© 2026 by Shelley Purchon
