Give me strength, the NHS is on its knees and Therese Coffey issues this.....

[DevaleraSpawnOfSatan]

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/09/15/therese-coffey-tells-nhs-staff-stop-using-oxford-comma/

😡😡

To quote the band Vampire Weekend ‘who gives a about an Oxford comma’.....

Thanks autocorrect...’who gives a about an Oxford comma’

It saves time in the long run. Minister sets out their drafting preferences. Civil Servants use it when drafting correspondence for said Minister to sign. Standard practice and avoids things being returned for redrafting.

Exactly- and @donquixotedelamancha civil servants will be keen to use the preferred style so will have asked her, when she first became a minister years ago, what her preference for all sorts of things was. How she likes her coffee, how she likes data presented - question >>> Answer. People here seem to think, rather than deal with substantive business this week she has instead called a meeting to launch her style guide! Not so!

Sometimes you really need that Oxford comma. From The Times, on a documentary by Peter Ustinov: 'Highlights of his global tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old demi-god and a dildo collector.'

I love an Oxford comma.

God, but I love an Oxford comma. You can prise it from my cold, dead, writerly hands.

She can fuck right off.

Public sector busy work.

@Technonan You said;
Sometimes you really need that Oxford comma. From The Times, on a documentary by Peter Ustinov: 'Highlights of his global tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old demi-god and a dildo collector.'

😆

Try this - "I helped my uncle Jack, off his horse."

vs "I helped my uncle Jack off his horse."

Oxford or not, that pesky little comma has a lot of power.......😏

For the very small number of civil servants this was intended for its time saving and saves a lot of hassle.

It has zero relevance to the overwhelming majority of public sector workers

Haha, I just meant Chemistry is a preeeeeetty big subject 🤪

@DevaleraSpawnOfSatan

vote for these brexiteer tories and this is what you get.

also let’s let bankers get plus x2 bonus salary and more saying we want to attract such bankers. Actually no. We should not want such greed. If they are that good pay the salary.

just a shameful bunch of people.

beggers belief.

@Worriedaboutethics

"vote for these brexiteer tories and this is what you get."

I wondered how long it would take for the Remoaners and Lefties to hijack this thread.

Don't forget Tony Blair wanted to sell off the NHS.😄

Worriedaboutethics
vote for these brexiteer tories and this is what you get

The Times today have reminded readers of Labour's Liam Byrne;

Liam Byrne, a minister under Gordon Brown, issued a notorious 11-page guide called “working with Liam Byrne”

2008
If Mariah Carey's minions at times find the singer's diva demands trying, they might spare a thought for the aides of the cabinet minister, Liam Byrne.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/nov/17/liam-byrne-minister-diva-news

No surprise that Liam Byrne was recently suspended from the Commons for bullying a former employee.

I work for the NHS and up until now I have never used an Oxford comma but now I think I might start.

I bloody bastard well will NOT EVER stop using the Oxford comma. So F off TC!

If I ever become a minister I will request that all communications are relayed to me via the medium of modern dance.

@MojoJojo71

Feel free to use the Oxford comma, Ms Coffey will be completely unaware
so not much point really

@MsFannySqueers

I can think of a few civil servants who would be happy to oblige

I hope she doesn't poke her nose into the Essex Colon next.

Whilst we are on the subject of diverting the thread..... Wasn't Priti Patel also found guilty of bullying?

But she had a far more lenient and crass boss

Usually it's present at meeting: Dr x (cardiology). Dr y (pediatric nephrology). Sally (mum). Bob (step- father). Sarah (OT). No real need for the ands or comma's. NHS notes are generally only full sentences when they'll be sent to the patient! Often read like a telegram used to and with lots of short hand and acronyms.

Only notes I've read are my own (probably different speciality to you though), from several different parts of the country over a couple of decades, and they're very often full sentences in many places. Not always, but often. Guess I was just surprised you were able to confidently state you'd never used an Oxford comma over a whole career. I believe you, it just surprises me you can be sure.

Ah yes. Lets get rid of the usage in a setting where plenty of specialities and trusts have "and" in them. And of course get rid of the jargon that has evolved to be used in the NHS. What could go wrong?

I’m curious at the comments who think this is helpful, along with how MPs would like data presented. A policy doesn’t improve the outcomes for Ms Smith on the street because it uses certain grammar conventions and why are there not standard conventions anyway? What options for data presentation are we talking? Anyone with basic statistics should know what type of charts are used to represent various data types and unless you’re attempting Purdue Pharma level misdirection on the scale points and ranges, I’m wondering what preferences MP can express for data representation so they can actually understand it?