A priority obviously….
NHS claims ‘it’s raining cats and dogs’ is culturally insensitive
Doctors and nurses in Lancashire told some idioms risk offending ‘international colleagues or patients’
Doctors and nurses have been ordered not to say “it’s raining cats and dogs” and “the early bird catches the worm” to avoid offending foreign patients.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust instructed staff against using the phrases in its diversity and inclusion training, claiming that the terms were not culturally sensitive.
“Chairman” is banned in favour of “chairperson” and “mankind” should be replaced with “humankind”, according to the guidance, which was created to “foster an inclusive environment”.
Critics said the guidance read like an April Fool’s joke and cautioned that the policing of language in the NHS was on the rise.
The 17-page document, first issued in November 2024 and reviewed every three years, says it is “crucial” for doctors and nurses to use “considerate, inclusive” language, claiming it will “lead to a healthier society”.
“By fostering an inclusive environment, the NHS can better meet the diverse needs of the populations it serves, ultimately leading to a healthier society overall,” the guidance reads.
The trust, which spent £100,723 last year on salaries for diversity and inclusion staff, has faced mounting financial pressure.
In 2025, it was placed in financial special measures after recording a £42.1m deficit since the previous November.
NHS England subsequently wanted that directors could be replaced if the financial situation did not improve.
The trust employed the equivalent of 2.3 full-time equality and diversity staff in the 2024-25 financial year.
The highest-paid earns £48,526, while newly advertised nursing roles offer salaries of £31,049.
The diversity training document was offered to staff at the trust, which runs Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.
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A priority obviously…....[more]