“In some ways it feels like a specialism”: Exploring the lived experience of multilingual maternity professionals – A qualitative interview study

This qualitative study explores the experiences of multilingual maternity healthcare professionals working in UK NHS hospitals. It finds that shared language between providers and patients can improve understanding, confidence, and overall wellbeing for pregnant patients, particularly migrants. However, multilingual staff often feel an unrecognized obligation to interpret, increasing workload and potential legal concerns. The authors conclude that better institutional support and formal recognition of multilingual skills could improve equity of care and patient outcomes in maternity services.

AUTHOR

Brooks, Emma