The Role of Scottish Languages and Dialects in Integrating International Medical Graduates Into the National Health Service: Navigating Linguistic Barriers

The United Kingdom, particularly Scotland, is a key destination for international medical graduates (IMGs), who now make up a substantial part of the National Health Service (NHS) workforce. These IMGs encounter several challenges when integrating into the NHS, with language barriers being especially significant. Although many IMGs are educated in English, they frequently struggle with the intricacies of Scottish languages and dialects, which are vital for good patient care. This review examines Scotland's linguistic environment, focusing on the roles of Gaelic and Scots languages in cultural distinctiveness and patient communication. By means of a literature review and focus group interviews with IMGs, the authors ascertained commonly utilised Scottish colloquialisms and their connotations, highlighting their importance in clinical contexts. The findings indicate that comprehending such colloquialisms can greatly improve doctor-patient communication, decrease misunderstandings, and enhance health outcomes. The article advocates for the formulation of formal training programs to better equip IMGs for the linguistic challenges they will encounter, thus improving their assimilation into the NHS and enhancing patient care. While the Scottish Government's efforts to support international recruitment and workforce assimilation have been exemplary, there remains a pressing need for targeted language orientation to close the communication gap and warrant high-quality healthcare delivery.