In English (and other languages) it is normal for language to evolve and for words to be used in a way that differs from their original meaning.

 

However, as employees of the NHS we should be supporting the Equality and Diversity agenda and be sensitive to language which might offend or discriminate against others.

 

I do not dispute the origin of the word ‘purdah’, nor the fact that it is used by the Government to denote the pre-election period. However, as its common usage has a specific cultural and religious meaning I simply feel that this term could be seen as offensive on religious and/or cultural grounds and suggest that the perfectly acceptable and neutral term ‘pre-election period’ be used instead.

 

I can think of many terms that have been in common usage in English in the past but which are not considered acceptable today as they can cause offence.

 

I am unhappy that such a term, which might be offensive, is being widely used within the NHS.

 

 

 

In what way can a foreign word meaning ‘curtain’ be viewed as offensive?  Lazy shorthand, perhaps  but surely not ‘offensive?’  The word was hijacked centuries ago by certain societies to express their cultural exclusion practices.   That doesn’t mean that is its entire meaning. Nor does it mean we can’t hijack it either and impose our particular meaning.   The beauty of English is its ability to absorb words and concepts from other languages and cultures.

 

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

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Please could I encourage everyone to avoid using the term ‘purdah’ for the term ‘pre-election period’. It could be viewed as offensive to culture and religion, as well as possibly sexist.

 

There’s an interesting article here from 2007 which explains why. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/purdah-banned-assembly-poll-jargon-2268834

 

This term has been used for many years to denote the pre-election period but this doesn’t mean that it’s acceptable. The Head of Communication at our Trust has agreed to remove all references to purdah from Trust communications, internal and external.

 

 

 

Hi all – I believe that we are ok – the general guidance includes this..

 

• Staff are free, in their private capacity, to engage in public debate or comment during the election period. However, they should not use the organisation’s official premises, equipment or digital platforms nor should they make comments based on information that is not generally available to the public. It must be clearly stated that the views expressed are those of the individual and not that of the organisation.

 

Sam

 

 

Hi Tom

Do we need to take into account the Purdah rules with the #ukmedlibs chats until after the general election? I know most people will be commenting as an individual but given that the topic relates specifically to the NHS, do we need to be a bit careful?

 

Regards

 

Sarah

 

 

 

May’s Twitter chat, led by guests Tracey Pratchett and Victoria Treadway, will look at how to stay up to date with NHS policy and strategic objectives, and how to use this information to benefit our practice and to plan and deliver library services. Tracey and Victoria will present the MAP toolkit and discuss how people have used it, and whether there are gaps or other areas the toolkit could cover.

Questions for discussion and more details are on the ukmedlibs blog.

Be online at 8pm on Tuesday 16^th May (as usual, a transcript will be made available afterwards, if you can’t take part).

Tom

 

Tom Roper, Clinical Librarian
Library, Audrey Emerton Building, Royal Sussex County Hospital
(01273) 523309 / RSCH x63309
Brighton and Sussex NHS Library and Knowledge Service  Twitter: @BrightonSx_LKS
https://librarymatters.wordpress.com/
Need evidence to solve a clinical problem? Save time by using UpToDate. Containing treatment recommendations based on the best medical evidence, it’s just one of the summary and synopsis tools we provide to inform evidence-based health care. Contact us for more information.

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