When you register with a GP or start treatment in the UK, your medical history from Iran, Afghanistan or the Kurdistan Region can make a real difference. A clear English translation lets your doctors read results, diagnoses and medicines quickly, instead of relying on memory or a rushed explanation in the appointment.
Documents worth translating
- vaccination records, especially for children starting school or nursery
- hospital discharge summaries and notes from operations
- blood tests, scan reports and other results
- specialists’ letters and lists of the medicines you take now
- medical reports requested by an insurer, an employer or a court
How medical translation is done
Diagnoses, medicine names, doses and units are translated precisely, using the terms UK clinicians use. Medicines are often sold under different brand names in different countries, so the name is kept as written, alongside the active ingredient where the document gives it. Abbreviations, figures and reference ranges are copied exactly, and anything that cannot be read is marked as illegible rather than guessed.
Certified or not?
For your own GP, an accurate translation is often enough. Insurers, employers, courts and other official bodies usually ask for a certified translation. If you are not sure, ask the organisation which they need before you order.