Clare on the cooking show

[shopperholic]

I think we'll just agree to disagree.

Yes I think it's best. When I worked in the NHS we were told never to address the patients by their first name and under no circumstances can you call a patient "love" out of respect.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I think the NHS has chopped and changed its policy on this over the years. One minute it says it must be Mr/Mrs, then it is Christian names to put them at their ease etc and then back to full title.

They spend a fortune on surveys etc to make these daft decisions rather than just asking the patient to tick a box so all staff know their preference (or is that too simple?)

 

[shopperholic]

I worked in the NHS for twenty five years, we used ask the question when we would talk to patients how they felt on the name basis, many said they weren't bothered but the majority of patients did actually prefer to be called by their Mr/Mrs surname, they thought it seemed more professional and let's be honest, when you're in hospital the main thing you want is to be treated with professionalism.

 

[Scout]

I think we'll just agree to disagree.

No problem - would be a boring world if we all felt the same.

 

[Brissles]

I think the NHS has chopped and changed its policy on this over the years. One minute it says it must be Mr/Mrs, then it is Christian names to put them at their ease etc and then back to full title.

They spend a fortune on surveys etc to make these daft decisions rather than just asking the patient to tick a box so all staff know their preference (or is that too simple?)

Oh how I agree with you on THAT ! just before I retired from the NHS a diktat came around saying the word 'patient' was no longer to be used - it was to be replaced by 'service user'. Honest to God, I ask you, we in Admin just laughed ourselves silly that day. Don't know if that's still the case.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

You know what they say - if you can't make a decision form a committee which usually ends up in just a name change for the same thing.

Most organisations now call themselves service providers when the last thing they actually do is a service.

 

[talisker25]

Oh how I agree with you on THAT ! just before I retired from the NHS a diktat came around saying the word 'patient' was no longer to be used - it was to be replaced by 'service user'. Honest to God, I ask you, we in Admin just laughed ourselves silly that day. Don't know if that's still the case.

What I worked in local government it had to be service user. Very impersonal.

 

[jacqualina]

I most certainly think it's an age thing. Throughout these posts first names have been referred to as christian names, hardly apt these days in our multi cultural society.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I most certainly think it's an age thing. Throughout these posts first names have been referred to as christian names, hardly apt these days in our multi cultural society.

It wasn't meant to offend anyone it's just a term that perhaps older members have normally been accustomed to. I apologise if it caused offence and my apology is not meant to offend Christians either. Sometimes one can't do right fir doing wrong.

 

[shopperholic]

It wasn't meant to offend anyone it's just a term that perhaps older members have normally been accustomed to. I apologise if it caused offence and my apology is not meant to offend Christians either. Sometimes one can't do right fir doing wrong.

I wouldn't worry about it, unfortunately we're in an age were in Britain, we have be made to suppress anything regarding our own heritage as a Christian country for fear of offending. So now, sadly, we automatically and sub consciously don't refer to it, so don't worry it's just something we've been forced to do naturally over the past four or five decades. You haven't offended anyone because in this country, the first name IS called our Christian name.

Only edited because iPad took over and spelled a couple of things wrong, oops. :mysmilie_17:

 

[shopperholic]

I most certainly think it's an age thing. Throughout these posts first names have been referred to as christian names, hardly apt these days in our multi cultural society.

Would any other country change their heritage because of multiculturalism? In fact, are their many countries that have accepted multiculturalism? I'm sorry I don't really want to get into this subject on a shopping to forum, but this is first and foremost a Christian country, a Christian country who bend over backwards not to offend, but I'm sorry it always has been, and always will be our Christian name.

 

[Brissles]

Anyway, there are still some areas of this country where you'd be hard pushed to even know the term multi-cultural if it wasn't for the media which dreamt it up in the first place.

 

[Lady Madonna]

Yes I think it's best. When I worked in the NHS we were told never to address the patients by their first name and under no circumstances can you call a patient "love" out of respect.

If I don't know anybody why should they expect to call me by my first name?I wouldn't dream of calling my GP by his first name.

 

[shopperholic]

If I don't know anybody why should they expect to call me by my first name?I wouldn't dream of calling my GP by his first name.

That's true.

 

[Enigma]

Yes, I agree with all you say LATIL

I worked for many years in the NHS, and never addressed patients with their first name. In fact one elderly gentleman thanked me for calling him Mr Gray, as he was so often referred to as George by people he didn't know.

Yes, again it could be an 'age' thing. Telephone cold callers are generally the young and trying to earn a living, but their 'script' calls for them to address me by my Christian name, which I find irksome as they don't know me from Adam, so I say if they wish to continue the call then refer to me as Mrs ?

I hate that! If I don't know you, then I'm not going to react well to you cold calling me and launching into your spiel by calling me by my first name. I don't find that polite.

And this isn't anything new either; I remember back in the 1990s while I was a student, getting a call from my bank's student officer trying to flog me a loan and/or a credit card. His matey "down wiv da kids" attitude put my back right up, but then he made the mistake of referring to me by my first name, without asking my permission first.

So, being the stroppy mare that I am, I interrupted and sweetly asked if I could ask a simple question or two. "Of course you can!" says he, condescension dripping from every word.

So I ask him "If you were talking to my parents, would you treat them as if they didn't have two brain cells to rub together? And would you use their first names without asking their permission first?" Cue shocked silence, then he splutters that he wouldn't. "So what makes you think it's OK to talk to another of your bank's customers in this manner? Am I not deserving of the same level of courtesy just because I'm under the age of 25?" More silence. So I thanked him for his call, and hung up.

I never heard from him again :mysmilie_17:

 

[Brissles]

Also, we've suddenly turned into a nation of 'kissers'. Why ? its seems to be de rigeur now to hug people you barely know and fight for air space to kiss on the cheek. I tend to hold back and recoil when people other than family start lunging towards me with lips puckered up. Its a disease that's rapidly caught on from work colleagues to the unknown and 'never met before' friends of friends. Whatever happened to the handshake ?

 

[Enigma]

Would any other country change their heritage because of multiculturalism? In fact, are their many countries that have accepted multiculturalism? I'm sorry I don't really want to get into this subject on a shopping to forum, but this is first and foremost a Christian country, a Christian country who bend over backwards not to offend, but I'm sorry it always has been, and always will be our Christian name.

Britain's been multicultural for centuries. Celts, Picts, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Normans. Not to mention the Jewish communities that have survived in this country for I don't know how long.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Also, we've suddenly turned into a nation of 'kissers'. Why ? its seems to be de rigeur now to hug people you barely know and fight for air space to kiss on the cheek. I tend to hold back and recoil when people other than family start lunging towards me with lips puckered up. Its a disease that's rapidly caught on from work colleagues to the unknown and 'never met before' friends of friends. Whatever happened to the handshake ?

even young folk who are big into hugging and kissing their friends (watching too much US TV) just don't look comfortable doing it but feel it is something they have to do.

 

[jacqualina]

I think the use of the term 'christian name' has decreased over the last decade or so, especially in formal documents. As I don't have a 'christian' name, I prefer the term 'first name' and imagine there are many others who feel the same way, that's all.

 

[miss molly]

My job involves a lot of phone calls and if a customer calls me Darling it bowls me over and they can have what they want it is so sweet and endearing. If they are rude and say 'listen love' I won't go out of my way for them.