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Understand a hospital letter in plain English
Get a plain-English explanation of medical words in a letter or leaflet, plus questions to ask your care team.
When to use it
When a letter or leaflet is hard to follow
Step by step
Remove personal details
Before sharing anything, cover or delete your name, address, date of birth, hospital and NHS or insurance numbers.
Ask for a plain-English version
Paste the text, or a photo with details covered, into your AI assistant with this prompt.
Prompt to copyPlease explain this [hospital letter/leaflet] in plain English for someone without medical training: [paste text]. Explain each medical word or abbreviation simply, list any practical things it asks me to do (appointments, preparation, dates), and give me 5 questions I could ask my doctor or nurse. Don't interpret test results or tell me what they mean for my health, and say clearly if something should be checked with my care team.Check with your care team
Take your questions to your GP, consultant, nurse or pharmacist. They know your full history and can explain what it means for you.
What you get
'Bilateral' means both sides. 'Ultrasound' is a scan using sound waves, it's painless. What to do: drink 1 litre of water an hour before your scan on 4 Dec, don't empty your bladder. Questions: How long will results take? Who will tell me the results?
Tips
- AI explanations can be wrong or miss context, so always check what matters with your care team.
- Health information is sensitive: share only what you need and check the AI tool's privacy settings.