'I commend this book unreservedly as it draws our attention to the crucial role of language in the delivery of safe and effective healthcare and places communication as critical to patient-centred care. It represents a state of the art collection of articles on language and communication from a range of different disciplines and theoretical perspectives. It is of immense value for any student and scholar interested in healthcare, healthcare communication or applied linguistics.'Diana Slade, Director of the International Research Centre for Communication in Healthcare (IRCCH)Hong Kong Polytechnic University and University of Technology, Sydney, Australia