Ethics in theory and practice in Spanish healthcare community interpreting

Abstract

Community interpreters carry out their daily work within different contextual situations and follow specific codes of ethics, whilst at the same time they are confronted with communicative conflicts in which ethical responsibilities may overlap with their professional duties. The aim of this article is to understand the significance of ethical issues in Spanish healthcare interpreting and to determine to what extent ‘unethical’ interpreting (according to codes of ethics) can become a barrier or a bridge to effective communication. The article explores the challenges, conflicts and dilemmas encountered by public service interpreters in healthcare in Madrid, and examines the beliefs held by these professionals regarding their knowledge of codes of ethics, as well as their implementation. The findings show that the participants’ perceptions of their beliefs and knowledge of codes of ethics were not as impartial as they thought, as they assumed functions which codes of ethics do not consider appropriate.