People visiting a hospital or clinic are generally there because either they are sick or someone close to them is. It is consequently quite likely that they will be anxious. They will be seeking reassurance. The last thing they need is to come up against a doctor or nurse who is rude and/or uncommunicative.

That is the conclusion drawn by the Community Health Council in its report to Bradford Health Authority which recommends that all NHS staff should undergo training in customer satisfaction to NVQ Level 1. The CHC proposes that there should be more emphasis placed on the importance of communication with patients and their families to avoid the distress and unnecessary worry that can result from a breakdown in trust.

No-one surely would argue with that, in principle. Dealing with people can sometimes be very tricky, particularly when those people are under stress. Patients can be awkward and defensive. Sometimes the professionals themselves are hard-pressed and react wrongly.

Basic human relations might not always be enough to deal with the situation in such circumstances, when knowing a few tricks might help to smooth things over. However, to subject every NHS employee to an NVQ course might seem just a little excessive. There are surely enough demands on the time of the service's staff without involving them in something else which will take them away from their front-line work.

The CHC has done well to highlight the problem. The NHS locally should now take its findings on board and strive internally to change its culture so that patients are treated with patience, and are not kept in the dark.