HSE staff have been told they can no longer call patients dear, love or boys. Under strict new rules for employees, patients can only be referred to by their first name.
The phrase 'how are you feeling love' will soon be a thing of the past in hospitals around the country.
New rules are being introduced in HSE facilities as part of a wider overhaul of communication in hospitals.
According to the Daily Mail, pet names like dear, love, girls and lads are to be banned on wards, with patients only to be referred to by their first name. There's also a warning on referring to patients by their bed number or their ailment such as - 'the one with the hip.'
The communications programme has been rolled out in 18 hospitals around the country and is expected to be extended to others in coming months.
