Benefits of utilising professional interpreters in clinicalsettings have been well documented. However, not manystudies have focused on use of professional interpreters bydialysis patients of Non-English Speaking Background (NESB)who are in the clinical settings every second day of their lives.The underlying question for this research was to determinethe level of interpreter utilisation by dialysis patients of NESBat a major urban teaching hospital.MethodA multi-method approach was used involving (a) in-depthinterviews of health care professionals working with dialysispatients to elicit their views regarding interpreter access anduse by dialysis patients of NESB, (b) observations ofinteractions between staff and dialysis patients of NESB and(c) review of medical records belonging to dialysis patients ofNESB who were admitted 24 months prior to the study.ResultsInterviews revealed that only 50% of Health Care Workers(HCWs) had accessed an interpreter for dialysis patients ofNESB over a period of six months. Observations of staff/NESBpatient interactions showed that professional interpreterswere used in only 25% of the observed occasions. Thereview of medical records revealed that there was noevidence of interpreter use in 32% of the recordsbelonging to dialysis patients of NESB. The study alsoshowed that non-compliance with dialysis treatmentregime was more likely to occur among patients who hadlimited access to interpreters.ConclusionThe study demonstrated a suboptimal utilisation ofinterpreter services by dialysis patients of NESB. Severalbarriers to inaccessibility and underutilisation ofprofessional interpreters were identified.Recommendations to improve communication betweenHCWs and dialysis patients of NESB are suggested.