The BBC reports that the government is giving nurses guidelines on what language they are to use when addressing patients. This suggests many things about government attitudes to both nurses and patients and the conservatives have given their usual cross-patch response.
But New Labour may be addressing a real problem at the heart of the NHS. In hospital I have always been cared for but never by friends and family. In fact friends and family are strictly managed in their care for patients. Only professionals are allowed to care for the sick.
My friends no whether I like being called "dearie" or "shit head" nurses can only guess... or follow government guidelines.
