Hello, my name is...’ NHS ‘patient-friendly’ badges - with pronouns

[Pronoun]

My manager is getting us new name badges for NHS work. The ‘hello, my name is’ campaign is meant to be for the benefit of patients; some are marketed as being specifically dementia-friendly.

I was surprised to see that there is the option to include pronouns on the badges. As these are meant to be for patient benefit, I feel a bit uncomfortable with these. My feeling is that people just want to know your name, to have a proper, friendly introduction, and to be treated as a person, so they don’t feel like an anonymous ‘case,’ or struggle to know who has been looking after them. I feel these pronoun badges run the risk of making interactions about the HCP rather than centring the patient. Am I wrong to feel this way?

I like name badges on nurses drs etc because I am bad with names, and I remember them better if I've seen them. But having pronouns there would make me unhappy, as I would have more to keep straight. I can't see that as dementia friendly either.

This is not the sort of thing ill people should have to worry about. I'd be tempted to have

Pronouns: (sex/based)

Oh god no.

I am supposed to put my preferred pronoun on my email signature 🙄 I haven't.

Most people can't/won't even use my name (they abbreviate it or spell it incorrectly)!!!

Hello, my name is.... and here are the hoops I will be requiring you to jump for me.

I feel these pronoun badges run the risk of making interactions about the HCP rather than centring the patient. Am I wrong to feel this way?

No, because that's exactly what they are doing. And any kind of lobbying or political statements have no place in public service. Really poor move on behalf of that trust.

I would tippex out the pronoun bit. Absolute nonsense. If there is any doubly then Miss Jane Smith or Mr Jane Smith should suffice.

Kowtowing to a regressive ideology is never a good thing and trying to impose it on NHS patients is appalling.

And when my grandmother had dementia she ended up not remembering how to read (which was terrible for a bookworm). But then she was a Geordie so I can only imagine her response ‘eeeee hinny, divva ye know whether you’re a fella or a lass? Well I never..., I should be looking after you rather than you looking after me... are you here by yourself? Is there someone with you? Shall I fetch your mam?’

Why would any patient need to know this anyway? You don't use pronouns when interacting with someone, unless you need someone of a specific sex it makes no difference if they introduce themselves as Robert when obviously female, or Emily with a skirt and a beard, or AJ who is androgynous.You will only need pronouns if discussing that person with someone else, most likely outside of the person in question's hearing. Is it really up to a patient to remember and linguistically protect hcp's chosen identities to this extent? Do hcps expect patients to remember this kind of person detail about them as a priority when in need of care?

Isn't you know, health care, and putting the needs of the patient above needing the patient to validate your choices more important?

I'll bet too that this has come from either political lobby group involvement with senior people and/or overenthusiastic allies - it's hard to believe committed nhs staff of the type I meet would think this was important, particularly at the moment.

Pronouns: sex based, like my oppression!

FFS that is ALL about the badge wearer & nothing to do with patient welfare

It’s ALL about the 1% of badge wearers who make the fuss.

Pronouns are what people say about you not to you. You can say whatever you like about people- why not add all that on the badges too.

Old bat
Miserable cow
Grumpy mare
Nightmare
Scary woman

And that’s just me.

This is just horrible virtue signalling from the people who have implemented it.

No vulnerable, ill, worried or petrified person should be in the slightest bit concerned that they may not be validating the people who are supposed to be medically treating them.

Oh FFS this isn't what my name is is about.

Dr Kate Granger founded the campaign to make it easier for patients.

Her point was that it is easier for patients and family to hear and understand "my name is Hannah" because it has distinct sounds.

"I'm Hannah", by contrast is more difficult to hear.

Pronouns don't help patients or careers. They are all about the member of staff.

This just seems like pandering to a very specific but very vocal, oppressive section of society. I certainly wouldn't want my 'preferred pronoun' on my badge and if it was compulsory, I'd be putting in a complaint that it is forcing a very specific agenda on me.

Oh FFS this isn't what my name is is about.

And that original strategy sounds like a damn good idea!

How sad to see yet again appropriation of something that is caring and helpful to others, and the twisting of it to enable a highly selfish, unhelpful and unpatient centred agenda.

Thanks for that explanation Al1Langdownthecleghole the original idea sounds so simple, effective & patient centred

My understanding is that the intention of putting pronouns on badges is that it puts patients who might be trans at ease - it’s not about the wearer. That by the doctor or caregiver offering up their own pronouns, that it makes it easier for patients to declare theirs, should they so want?

Old bat
Miserable cow
Grumpy mare
Nightmare
Scary woman

I'm having those too apart from Old Bat.

What happens if a patient doesn’t use the pronouns that are on the badge?

We have a joke on our family - one sibling will say something like ‘oh you miserable old cow’ and the other replies ‘oi, less of the ‘old’ please’.

Yes. This is the original 'Hello My Name is':

www.hellomynameis.org.uk/

Compassionate, bonding, patient centred. Pronouns on a badge are nothing to do with the patient, it's about validating the wearer and making them happy.