Doncaster and Bassetlaw Launch Patient Communication App Pilot Program

Key Takeaways

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is piloting the CardMedic app to enhance patient communication across language barriers.
The app uses clinically validated scripts and provides access to live interpreters in over 200 languages, aiming to reduce health inequalities.
After a successful soft launch, the app is being piloted for 12 months across various departments to evaluate its impact on patient care and staff confidence.

Improving Patient Communication with CardMedic

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is introducing the CardMedic app as part of a pilot program designed to improve communication with patients facing language barriers. The initiative is funded by the Trust’s charity and aims to ensure equitable access to healthcare information and services for all patients, regardless of their primary language, sensory, or cognitive challenges.

Kirsty Clarke, the associate chief nurse, highlighted significant gaps in accessibility for patients whose first language isn’t English. She emphasized that relying on gestures or mimes to convey essential health information compromises patient safety and dignity.

Unlike casual translation tools such as Google Translate, CardMedic incorporates clinically validated scripts, ensuring both accuracy and appropriateness for medical contexts. In addition to pre-prepared scripts, the app connects healthcare staff to live interpreters fluent in more than 200 languages, facilitating clear communication with patients.

The app was first utilized in a soft launch in October 2025, focusing on the emergency department, maternity services, fracture clinic, and outpatient services. These departments were selected to assess the app’s effectiveness across various patient pathways, from urgent care situations to routine consultations that require detailed exchanges of information.

Following this initial phase, CardMedic has been officially rolled out trust-wide for a 12-month pilot study beginning in December 2025. Throughout this evaluation period, regular feedback will be collected to measure the app’s impact on patient experience, staff confidence, and the overall quality of care provided.

Tim Grimaldi, co-founder and managing director of CardMedic, expressed enthusiasm about partnering with the Trust for this crucial initiative. He noted that effective communication is essential for safe and compassionate care, and language barriers often result in significant health inequalities within the NHS. The app aims to empower healthcare professionals to engage meaningfully with every patient, ensuring that language constraints do not hinder access to quality care.

In terms of financial backing, CardMedic secured £411,000 from Innovate UK’s SMART grant program in June 2025. This funding will support a 12-month project to enhance and integrate a language services portal across healthcare organizations.

In addition, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust launched the CardMedic app in October 2025, implementing it on 455 bedside devices throughout Stepping Hill Hospital, further demonstrating the commitment to overcoming language barriers in healthcare provision.

This initiative signals a collective effort to embrace technology in healthcare, ultimately striving for a system where all patients receive equal attention and care, regardless of language proficiency.

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