Jane Bates: All the world's a stage

When an interpreter for a deaf patient failed to show up, Jane Bates had to turn to acting to get her points across

Whenever an actor describes their job as hard work, I have been known to utter 'pshaw' or something equally ungenerous. But I have had to eat humble pie.

Recently, a profoundly deaf patient arrived in our department, but her interpreter had failed to materialise. Lip reading was difficult because of her poor sight, and I am not skilled in signing.

Nevertheless, we agreed, via copious scribbled notes, that we would give her health assessment a go. Time-pressured as always, I had to get my questions across fast, and, throwing good taste to the wind, I mimed my way through the entire medical dictionary.

In the zone