'Woke' NHS hospitals ban phrases like 'blind leading the blind' and 'deaf to reason' amid fears they will cause offence
14 October 2024, 08:27 | Updated: 14 October 2024, 08:35
An NHS trust has asked staff to stop using phrases such as the "blind leading the blind" and "deaf to reason" amid fears they will cause offence.
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Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust, which is one of the largest NHS Trusts in the UK, is understood to have issued guidance to staff last week.
The 28-page language guide - shared with its 8,000 employees - said that stubborn colleagues should not be called "deaf to reason" as the saying could offend people who are hard of hearing.
Doctors and nurses should also avoid using "the blind leading the blind" as it could upset those who have lost their sight.
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Senior Tory MP Sir John Hayes criticised the move, telling the Sun: "This is another extraordinary example of the NHS, who should be caring for the sick, spending time and money on ludicrous trivia.
"The vast majority of patients and staff regard this as 'the blind leading the blind'.
"Any money diverted from treatment displaces investment in what people expect the NHS to deliver, which is first-class treatment.
"It’s time wokies woke up about spending money on PC causes."
Free Speech Union boss Toby Young said the ban of such phrases was "absurd".
"The English language changes organically over time, with offensive words and phrases naturally falling out of use, without any need for language cops to police its usage," he said.
It comes after it was reported last week that an NHS hospital had urged staff to avoid using the term "born male or female" amid concerns it would offend the LGBTQ+ community.
Employees were asked to use the phrase "assigned female/male at birth" instead as it "accurately depicts" when someone is born.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been contacted for comment.
