An NHS trust has been accused of being "woke" after telling staff to stop using a number of common phrases to reportedly avoid offending foreign patients. Doctors and nurses at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been ordered to not use traditional idioms such as "the early bird catches the worm" and "it's raining cats and dogs".

Staff were instructed against using the phrases during diversity and inclusion training, with the trust claiming the terms were not culturally sensitive, according to reports. The trust said the terms "may not translate well across other cultures" and could require explanation to international colleagues or patients. The 17-page guidance document said "by fostering an inclusive environment", the NHS can better support the "diverse needs" of patients.

It also encourages staff to use "chairperson", rather than "chairman", and "humankind" instead of "mankind", according to The Telegraph which broke the story.

Swapping "guys" for "gender neutral terms" like "colleagues", "team" or "members" is another recommendation in the guidance.

Tory peer and founder of the Free Speech Union, Lord Young, compared the guidance - first issued in November 2024 and reviewed every three years - to an April Fool's joke, adding: "But the reality is that these busybodies are constantly churning out new language guides, banning an ever-increasing number of words and idioms."

He continued: "The result is that more and more NHS employees, particularly older employees, are finding themselves under investigation for being 'culturally insensitive', which is code for 'racism'. If you're not fluent in 'woke-ish' - which is a constantly changing modern dialect - you will eventually be cancelled.

"Indeed, that may be the point of this language policing - to force older employees to take early retirement and make way for more pink-haired zealots."

The guidance said it is "crucial" doctors and nurses use "considerate, inclusive" language, saying this will "lead to a healthier society".

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust runs Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

The trust spent £100,723 on salaries for diversity and inclusion staff last year, according to The Telegraph.

A Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: "As a large specialist Trust, we are proud to have a diverse workforce and to serve people from many different communities.

"It is well known that certain informal phrases or idioms are not always easily understood by everyone, including people with autism or whose first language is not English, so it makes sense to raise awareness of this.

"This helps ensure that within our busy hospitals, communications with our patients and colleagues are as clear and effective as possible."