Spoken Language interpretation services available to Community-Based Specialists (CBS)
The Specialist Services Committee (SSC) recognizes the importance of spoken language professional interpretation for patients when seen in community offices. Since 2022, through a contract with the Provincial Language Service (PLS), professional interpreters have been available to CBS at no cost to the specialist or patient.
Program overview
-
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via telephone.
-
Connection to an interpreter is quick (1-2 minutes), so there is no need to pre-book.
-
Support is available in approximately 240 languages, including American Sign Language (ASL).
-
Billed directly to SSC.
Each specialty has been assigned a unique “access code”. Once you have this code, you will use it each time an interpreter is needed; however, the code remains the same every time you use this service.
Getting an access code is easy!
-
E-mail sscbc@doctorsofbc.ca.
-
For immediate access code support: call 604-736-5551 or 1-800-665-2262 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.)
-
Save your code in a place where you can easily access it next time.
Using the professional interpreter service is easy!
-
Call 1-833-718-2154 (toll-free).
-
You will be asked:
-
What Language do you need?
-
What is your access code?
-
What is your name and specialty?
-
What is your MSP number?
-
You will be connected to an interpreter within 1-2 minutes (on average). Simply set your phone to speaker mode for the duration of the appointment.
Allied Health teams
To further support specialists caring for patients in community office settings, the SSC CBS Working Group has expanded spoken language interpreting services to community office-based Allied Health teams.
Please note that only Allied Health members working directly within a clinic structure are eligible to access this service, with the knowledge and approval of the physician responsible for the patient.
About Spoken Language Interpretation Services and Community-Based Specialists
Since 2022, requests for spoken language interpreting services by CBS have grown steadily, reflecting both the need and the utility of the service. Below are some quick details:
-
An average of 19 different specialties access this service each month.
-
The total number of unique requests grew from 2,493 in 2022/23 (fiscal year) to 3,690 in 2023/2024 and 5,024 in 2024/2025.
-
In 2024/2025, a total of 1,641 hours of translation were provided (that's 68 days' worth!).
-
The most popular language requests are Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Cantonese, and Korean.
For more information, contact sscbc@doctorsofbc.ca.
If you are a specialist working within a health authority site, this service can be accessed through your health authority at no cost to you.
To learn more, visit the Provincial Health Services Authority website.
