If you need language or hearing support for a PRP appointment, tell the clinic before booking and ask what can be arranged. You should be able to understand the assessment, proposed treatment and alternatives, ask questions and make your own decision. Do not assume an interpreter, translated document or particular appointment format will be available without confirmation.
A good consultation is a conversation you can take part in, not a form you are expected to sign quickly. Being confident in everyday English does not necessarily mean you are comfortable discussing medical risk in English. Equally, someone who is deaf or has hearing loss may have very different communication preferences from another person with a similar diagnosis.
Ask about communication support for your PRP assessment
How do you arrange language or hearing support before PRP?
Tell the team how you prefer to communicate and what tends to make a consultation difficult. For example, you may want a spoken-language interpreter, a sign-language interpreter, written information, a quieter setting or more time to consider an explanation. These are different requests and may need different arrangements.
You do not need to choose a technical label before asking. A useful first message is "I would like a PRP assessment and need to discuss communication support before booking. My preferred language or communication method is [your preference]. Can you confirm what can be arranged?"
Contact The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness with the treatment area and your communication preference. Ask for the appointment arrangements to be confirmed before you travel or pay for a particular service. This guide does not promise interpreter availability, a language-speaking clinician or a particular adjustment on every date.
What the clinician needs to explain
The General Medical Council (GMC) says information should be shared in a way people can understand and retain so they can use it to decide. Its guidance includes using an interpreter or translation service where a person has difficulty understanding spoken English, sharing information in a preferred format and providing time and support. [1]
For a PRP assessment, the discussion should still cover the reason for considering treatment, uncertainty about the diagnosis or outcome, the proposed procedure, relevant benefits and risks, alternatives and the option not to proceed. Communication support should make that discussion possible, not reduce it to a short reassurance that treatment is safe.
Ask the clinician to explain unfamiliar terms. You can ask them to pause, repeat or write down an important point. If you have not understood the difference between the assessment and a proposed procedure, say so before making a decision.
Speaking English socially and understanding a medical decision are different
You may be able to book a taxi, manage work conversations and describe the reason for your visit in English, yet prefer another language for a detailed medical discussion. Tell the clinic which part concerns you. A request for support is not a statement that you cannot make your own decisions.
The clinician should check your understanding rather than assume it from a few fluent sentences. GMC guidance says clinicians must check whether people have understood the information and whether they want more before deciding. [1]
If the plan involves several stages, ask for those stages to be explained separately. Knowing what will happen at the first visit does not automatically mean you have agreed to a whole treatment course. Ask what is being decided now and what will be reviewed later.
Hearing support should follow your preferences
Do not assume that every deaf person lip-reads or uses the same form of sign language. Describe what helps you follow a conversation. If you use a hearing aid or another communication aid, tell the team what practical arrangements you need to use it during the consultation.
The GMC's communication case study makes the point that assumptions about understanding can be unhelpful. The appropriate support depends on the individual and whether they are content that they can understand and communicate. Pain and anxiety can also make a discussion harder to follow. [2]
A written explanation may help, but it is not automatically a complete replacement for a conversation in which you can ask questions. If you are offered telephone, video or in-person assessment, ask which format will best meet your needs and whether any proposed support works in that format.
A companion and an interpreter have different roles
You may want a relative, friend, carer or advocate involved for support. GMC guidance says a person's wishes to involve someone should be accommodated. However, practical support from someone you know is not automatically the same as an interpreting arrangement suitable for a detailed medical conversation. [1]
Tell the clinic if you want a companion to attend and explain what you would like them to do. You might want help remembering questions, but still prefer to answer the clinician yourself. You can also ask for part of the consultation in private.
Do not assume a family member should make the decision for you because they speak English more confidently. Ask the clinician how your own questions and preferences will be heard. If an interpreting arrangement is needed, confirm it rather than relying on an unplanned workaround when you arrive.
Explain your preferred language or hearing support
Agree the practical details before the day
Ask the clinic to clarify
- The appointment format and location.
- The language or communication method requested.
- Who is arranging any interpreter or other support.
- Whether extra time is needed and can be arranged.
- Which written information can be provided and in what format.
- Any associated costs and what happens if the agreed support is unavailable.
These details should be confirmed for your own appointment. Do not infer that a service is free or included in a consultation price because it was available elsewhere. Do not send an entire medical record just to ask about communication arrangements; ask how to share relevant sensitive information with the appropriate clinician.
If the arrangements change, contact the team before travelling where possible. A useful confirmation explains what has actually been arranged, rather than simply saying that someone will "help on the day".
If you cannot understand enough to decide
Tell the clinician clearly. You can ask for a pause, a different explanation, further support or more time. For a planned PRP procedure, travel, a booking or a signed form should not be used to pressure you into a decision you do not understand.
The GMC says reasonable adjustments should provide enough time and support for people with additional needs to understand relevant information and decide. It also says clinicians must be clear about the scope of consent and must not exceed it except in an emergency. [1]
Ask what can be discussed usefully now and what needs another arrangement. A consultation may still help you understand the next steps even if you do not proceed with treatment that day. Our PRP consent and cost checklist covers the separate questions about the treatment plan and costs.
How can you check that the explanation has been understood?
Ask the clinician to divide the discussion into the decision being made today and the decisions that can wait. You can then describe the proposal back in your own words and ask whether you have understood it correctly. This is not an examination of your English. It is a practical check that the explanation, interpreting arrangement and written information have conveyed the same meaning to everyone involved.
Write down the questions that matter most before the appointment. You might want to know what is causing the concern, what PRP could reasonably change, what the risks are and what happens if you choose no treatment. An interpreter can support communication, but cannot supply the clinician's explanation or decide which option you should choose. Ask the clinician to address you directly and leave room for your own follow-up questions.
If a term remains unclear after translation, ask for a different explanation rather than a faster repetition. A drawing, a written summary or a description of each stage may help, depending on your preference and what is available. GMC guidance emphasises information you can understand and retain. The aim is a conversation that lets you decide, not merely confirmation that a document has been handed to you. [1]
What should you agree about privacy and the support person's role?
Discuss who will hear your medical information and which parts of the appointment they will attend. You may want help throughout the conversation, or a private discussion with the clinician for a particular question. Tell the team if a person accompanying you should receive appointment information but should not receive clinical details. Ask how the clinic can record and respect that distinction rather than assuming every contact has the same permission.
For remote appointments, ask how an interpreter or companion would join and whether the proposed format lets you communicate effectively. If you need to see faces, read text or use an aid, explain that before accepting a telephone appointment. Check the practical setup with the team rather than assume that a support arrangement suitable for an in-person visit will work in the same way over video.
What information should you take home from the consultation?
Before the visit ends, ask for the next step, any proposed fees and the relevant instructions in a format you can use. Check which questions have been answered and which need another conversation. Ask whom to contact if you cannot understand the written summary or if the agreed support is unavailable at a later appointment. Do not change treatment or act on unclear instructions simply because you feel reluctant to ask again.
A useful outcome may be a better understanding of your options, not treatment on the same day. Communication support should help you compare the assessment, possible procedure, follow-up and option to wait. Our linked consent checklist can help organise those questions, while your clinician remains responsible for advice about your own health. No interpreter, language, appointment length or support fee is guaranteed by this article.
Related reading
Our guide to chaperones and companions explains a different support role. For scalp assessment, read about privacy and head coverings. You can explore PRP services separately before discussing suitability, benefits, risks and alternatives with a clinician.
Check the support needed for your consultation
Questions you may have
Can I ask for an interpreter before booking PRP?
Yes. Explain your preferred language or communication method before booking and ask what can be arranged. Confirm who is organising the support, the appointment format and any associated costs. Do not assume an interpreter is included or available on a particular date without an agreement for your own visit.
Do I need support if I speak some English?
You may still prefer support for a detailed medical discussion even when everyday conversation in English is comfortable. Explain which information you find difficult to follow. The important point is understanding the options and risks, asking questions and making your own decision, rather than appearing fluent while still uncertain.
Is written information enough if I have hearing loss?
Written information may help, but it is not automatically enough for every person or decision. Explain how you prefer to communicate and how you will ask follow-up questions. Agree a method that works for the discussion and appointment format rather than assume hearing loss implies one standard adjustment.
Can my friend come to help me?
You can ask for a friend, relative or advocate to attend for support. Confirm the attendance arrangements and explain what you want them to do. A companion is not automatically an appropriate interpreter for a detailed medical discussion, and you can ask to speak with the clinician privately.
Can I ask to take more time before deciding?
Yes. Ask for an explanation you can understand and time to consider the information. A planned PRP procedure should not proceed on the assumption that silence or a signature proves understanding. Tell the clinician what remains unclear and discuss what support or further conversation would help you decide.
Is support available for every appointment format?
Do not assume the same support works for telephone, video and in-person appointments. Explain what you need to see, hear, read or use during the discussion. Ask the team to confirm the practical arrangement and any limitations before you accept the appointment or make travel plans.
Plan a consultation you can take part in
Ask the team about communication support before booking. Include the treatment area, your preferred language or communication method and anything that helps you understand a medical discussion. Confirm what is available so the assessment can focus on your questions and choices.
Message the team about an accessible PRP discussion
Last updated 8 November 2026. This article is general information and is not a substitute for medical advice about your own health. In an emergency call 999.
Sources
[1] GMC, Decision making and consent, especially paragraphs 27-31 on support, understanding and the scope of consent.
[2] GMC, Amber case study, on avoiding assumptions and providing communication support. These are professional standards and educational guidance, not evidence that a particular clinic adjustment has already been arranged.